Playing With Fire
by pokemaniac1234
Summary: A bipolar dog, a sugarholic cat, a yoghurt advert girl, a bitchy seal, and an emo kitten called Electric Death. Oh, and then there's me, a dog-lion thing who's been reborn twice and is in love with an emotionally unstable dragon. Join the insanity.
1. Death and Rebirth

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 1**

**AN: I'm still really busy on TROL, but this was begging to be written down. I might continue this story when I've finished TROL, so please don't continue it for me. :) Thanks!**

My name was Anastasia. Quite ironic, really, as it means 'resurrection' in Greek or Hebrew or something like that.

I was what people would call an emo at first sight. I always wore black and red, and had sleek, silky black hair that reached down to my waist.

My Houndoom, Blitz certainly added to the 'demonic girl' image.

I certainly wasn't an emo, though.

I was bubbly and bouncy and loved running up behind random people, putting my hands over their eyes and shouting "BOO!" before running off again laughing with my best friend, Freya.

I also loved Fire Pokemon, and I went to the Fire Pokemon club at college on Monday afternoons. That was where I met Danny, my boyfriend.

I was popular and doing well at college to become a teacher in the Rustboro Trainers' School, specializing in Fire Pokemon, with Blitz and Danny at my side.

But I lost it all in one night.

Oh, I didn't lose my personality, just my body, my Blitz, my family, and my first life.

Before that, I had it made.

Until I went camping with Danny and Blitz in Viridian Forest, and I lost it all.

_It was peaceful and quiet in my dark little tent._

_The moon was shining bright above the trees, and I could hear the steady breathing of Danny and Blitz sleeping deeply in the black of the night._

_I could hear the gentle murmur of the trees' leaves rustling in a gentle breeze, the little growl from Blitz as he chased Glameows in his sleep, the gentle hissing, the occasional call of a Hoothoot..._

_Wait, hissing?_

_I opened my deep purply-brown eyes and sat up, slowly._

_And I came face to face, literally, with a Seviper._

_As my mouth formed a silent scream, the Seviper opened its mouth in a giant, taunting grin, long, lethal fangs bared and ready to strike._

_I finally made a noise as the Seviper struck, leaping forwards and sinking its giant fangs into my neck, and through my windpipe._

_I choked and gasped as Blitz woke up and tackled the Seviper, throwing off me and starting a fight to the death._

_Danny must have been woke up by the sound of a Houndoom howling and a Seviper hissing madly, because as I lay in a pool of my own dark red blood, he burst into my tent and dropped to his knees, trying to stem the flow of blood from my neck._

_Tears were dripping from his soft inky black eyes and onto my face, as he mumbled things to me._

_A final hiss was heard, and Blitz immediately came to my side, licking the blo__od off my body._

_Two neat holes were in the side of my neck, and suddenly everything started to fade away._

"_No... NO!" I heard as a Houndoom howled in grief, and everything turned black, as black as my ex-boyfriend's sodden eyes._

_I heard a final howl and a sob, and everything was gone._

These memories flashed through my mind as I stared at Mew and Mewtwo.

Mew was smiling happily; while Mewtwo was gazing at me gravely.

"The only way to get back is by being reborn." Mewtwo stated, narrowing his purple eyes as my heart leapt and I gasped with happiness.

"However, you won't be human." Me and Mew immediately stopped smiling and turned to the Genetic Pokemon.

"But... how will she see Danny and Blitz again? Unless... oh, no!" Mew's pink fur turned paler and her blue eyes widened as Mewtwo nodded.

Then both the catlike Pokemon turned to me, and with a jolt, I saw that Mew wasn't smiling anymore.

"What will I be?" I asked tentatively, dreading the answer.

"You will be a Pokemon." Mewtwo answered, as Mew beckoned me closer to her.

"I'll make sure that you see Danny and Blitz again. And I'll make sure that he doesn't accidentally break your string of life again." Mew added as Mewtwo went red.

"I didn't mean to! Deoxys pushed me into the cabinet and I fell against your string! It wasn't on purpose!" he looked like a small boy caught stealing sweets from the cupboard.

"Anyway, you have to start as a hatchling. You'll still have your human mind, but you'll have Pokemon instincts as well, and these things will generally disguise you from being recognised as a reborn by humans. Pokemon will know, though."

Mew reeled off these things quite quickly, and Mewtwo looked annoyed at Mew for delaying my departure from the shiny, blue sky-like place which we were all floating in.

"Now, Mew, Anastasia has to go. Her new life awaits!" Mew raised a white arm, and I felt myself being floated upwards by his telekinesis.

"Bye, 'Stasia! Have a good life!" Mew called, before white mist swallowed me up, and I felt nothing.

Then I felt something. I opened my eyes and blinked, staring around at the warm, orange space in which I was floating.

With a jolt I remembered my death, Mew and Mewtwo, and that this was the inside of an egg.

My instincts took over and I kicked, cracking the egg and spilling myself onto some bracken, in a moonlit forest.

I shook the goo off my fur and looked up at the moon, blinking slowly.

I flicked one of my giant ears, hearing a howl from close by.

"Viridian Forest... so I should be close to the tents..." I murmured to myself, and slowly, shakily stood on my four legs.

I looked down at the orange fur and black stripes. Two little white claws, sharp and shining, stuck out of my orange paws.

"I love you, Mew..." I whispered, wagging my Growlithe tail in anticipation and taking a shaky step towards the sounds of howling and crying.

Suddenly, two big shapes lurched out of the trees and towered above me.

Somehow, I knew that these Umbreon weren't my parents, as they growled and stepped towards me, licking their lips.

"I haven't had Growlithe for ages, not since Fuchsia City." One growled, stepping closer to me.

I could see his white, glistening fangs in his open mouth as he salivated in the prospect of a meal.

"Oh damn," I whispered, backing up against the tree as the Umbreon opened their mouths wider, preparing to clamp their jaws around my new, orange body.

Not again!


	2. ReIntroductions

**Playing With Fire****: Chapter 2**

As the two Umbreon got closer, I prepared to spit flames at them and growl as menacingly as I could. Sadly, my baby puppy instincts slightly ruined my plan.

I sat down, crying loudly as both of the Umbreon snarled and lurched forwards.

"HOUND!" I stopped crying as a gigantic black shape leapt over me and attacked the Umbreon, biting and breathing fire on them until they ran away, yelping in pain and terror.

The Houndoom then turned to me, and I gasped in astonishment.

"Blitz?" her eyes narrowed as she looked into mine.

"I've seen you before..." she said quietly, as I responded the best I could.

"_I've _seen _you _before," I said, and she looked startled at that.

"How? You've only just hatched!" she said, pawing at a bit of eggshell before raising her head in suspicion.

"How did you know my name?" she asked curiously, sitting beside me with her tail curled into a ring next to her. She always did that.

"Because I trained you from a Houndour, and I named you, and you were my first Pokemon!" I said quickly, leaning against her leg.

"You are a Growlithe. And also, Anastasia is dead." she hung her head at the last sentence.

"Yeah, Seviper bite, I was there," I said, stretching my head and revealing the two bite marks on the side of my throat. Blitz gaped, and I saw her four large fangs before she spoke.

"Anna?"

"You know I hate being called that."

"ANNA!"

"Erk!"

Blitz proceeded to strangle me with a bone-crushing hug.

"Anna! I thought you were dead!"

"Well, technically I am, and _stop calling me Anna_!" I stuck my tongue out at her and she laughed.

"Danny is going to be so happy..." Blitz trailed off and we both knew that he wouldn't understand me.

All Danny would hear was, 'Grrowl! Growlithe!" even if I told him my identity.

"Ah, well. You can still be with him even if he doesn't know it." Blitz then startled me by picking me up in her jaws and carrying me in the direction of the tents.

"One question: why are you carrying me?" I looked up at my first Pokemon and she looked back.

"Mmmph, phmmph. Fumph." she mumbled something before we were interrupted.

"Blitz, where were you? What's this?" Blitz trotted up to Danny and spat me out into his arms.

"Aww, a Growlithe. Anna would have loved a Growlithe puppy!" he stopped and a tear fell off his cheek.

"I'll forgive you this time for calling me Anna as you are distraught at my death, but the next time you might just get a faceful of fire."

Blitz grinned.

"I'm going to call you Anna."

I gaped as Blitz snickered.

"Is that alright?"

I started to say no, but then remembered the language barrier.

I shook my head vigorously and he frowned.

"Anastasia never liked being called Anna either. She always wanted to be called Amber, I think. How about Amber?"

I was surprised that he remembered that. I had said that when we first met, and he'd called me Anna.

I nodded and grinned widely.

"Great!" he said as I smiled smugly at Blitz.

Blitz smiled back and I suddenly felt really hungry.

"Grrowl!"

"Okay, I'll have to get you some puppy Growlithe formula. And lots of stuff for you, actually." He held me up and looked me in the eyes. He frowned.

"You know, you have exactly the same expression as Anastasia did. The same colour eyes, too," I licked his nose and he grinned.

"I think Anastasia would have liked you a lot." I just winked at Blitz, who winked back.

Hopefully he would know some day.


	3. The Wisdom of Dad

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 3**

Going to my own funeral was a very surreal experience.

For one, a random woman who was about sixty with bright green hair came and gave a long and boring speech about how I was a model college student and was always kind and caring and blah blah blah...

Another thing was that my mum and dad kept glancing at each other shrewdly, and I knew that they were thinking about how I would have hated this.

Which was perfectly true; if this funeral had been organized by me, everyone would be in bright red, and the speaker would be telling funny stories about how I once dyed my hair bleach blonde for a dare, or about how I jumped off the roof of my home here on Cinnabar Island.

The last was that Danny wasn't doing anything except cry silently, the hot tears falling onto me where I was sitting on his knee, Blitz lying in the aisle beside me.

After the funerally bit, and everyone could leave, Mum and Dad came over to Danny and started apologizing to him.

Well, Mum did, but Dad knelt down to my level and looked me in the eye.

I suddenly remembered how shrewd and calculating my dad was.

"Hello Anastasia. I'm glad Mew was this good to you," I gasped and Blitz gaped at him.

"But- how-" I was lost for words, and he seemed to understand.

"When you were born, Mew and Moltres appeared in a vision to me. Mew said that Moltres had placed a spark of her fire in you, and that she'd persuaded Mew to take care of you and see that if you died, you would come back to life as a Fire Pokemon.

A few nights later, I had another dream, except Mew was accompanied by Groudon and Heatran, and they said that they would give you a special power in your second life, but had to find it for yourself."

I was astonished, and Blitz' mouth was open so wide that I could see a flickering light at the back of her throat.

"Then a month later, Entei, on his own, appeared to me in another dream. He said that he would make sure that you became the most regal and powerful Fire Pokemon in the Kanto region. I don't know whether he meant that _you _would be the most powerful Fire Pokemon in Kanto, or if he meant your species, but you're going to do well as an Arcanine either way."

As I tried to say something, he straightened up and addressed Danny.

"Danny, I think that you should go on a journey with Blitz and Amber." His eyes opened wide in surprise.

"I was thinking about that. College doesn't have anything for me now, not now that Anastasia's gone. I thought about making Cinnabar Island proud, and winning the Indigo League using only Fire Pokemon."

My heart leapt, I really wanted to try battling with other Pokemon.

As Danny and my parents nattered about gyms and money and stuff like that, I turned to face Blitz, who immediately shot fire into my face.

"Hey! That tingles!" I said, laughing at the dancing flames around me.

"Nice, your ability is Flash Fire!" Blitz said, stamping on the fire and putting it out.

I tried spitting fire and blew flames into Blitz' face.

She shook her head revealing that it was severely charred.

"You may have Flash Fire, but I unfortunately don't."

She didn't look too hurt though, so I tackled her and soon we were rolling around having a play fight.

Eventually Blitz won the tussle, and pinned me down grinning.

"Hey! Get off my legs!" I laughed, and then I heard a whistle.

Blitz looked up and I seized my chance, shoving her off me and nipping her leg before scampering off to join Danny on his shoulder.

"God, you're getting too heavy for my shoulder! I'd forgotten how much Growlithe weigh!" I pouted and climbed onto his head.

He patted my tail which was dangling behind his head, giving the impression of a cream coloured ponytail.

"How do you like my new hat, Blitz?" he asked, twirling around, me clinging onto his bright red hair for dear second life.

"Very fetching," she replied through her laughter, my poofy tail wagging madly, as I thought just how Danny this was.

~_~_~

When we reached Danny's home, a little bungalow near the top of the volcano which he had bought for a pittance, I traipsed in and headed straight for the garden, where I climbed the old Cheri berry tree and sat in fork of branches near the top.

I had a perfect view of the volcano and the sunset behind the jungle.

Also, this was where all the nicest Cheri berries grew, and I ate a few as I watched the sky explode in red and orange as the sun went behind the volcano.

Suddenly I saw a red streak zoom at a high speed out of the volcano and streak towards me.

It was Moltres, and she hovered in front of me with a small smile on her beak.

"Mewtwo forbid me to tell you this, but Danny will know one day. I went to ask Celebi, and she travelled forwards in time for me."

"Thanks a lot, Moltres." I grinned, and she blew blue flames at me.

"That's a little extra gift besides the one that I gave you when you were one year old. I think you'll find it useful." she turned to go, but hesitated.

"By the way, Celebi told me something else, too." she flew halfway back to me to tell me more, but out of nowhere a dark streak missed her by inches.

"Whoops, Mewtwo's on the warpath. I hope Heatran can hold him off for a few more minutes. Sorry, but I have to go!"

She then streaked to the volcano and disappeared into it without a backwards glance.

After a few minutes, I shook my head to clear it, and looked around to see if anyone had seen the giant Flame Pokemon.

Blitz was curled up asleep on the conservatory roof, soaking up the last of the tropical heat from the sun, and Danny was sorting out a bottle and some Growlithe formula in the kitchen.

I smiled before curling up in the tree, warm and happy.

My secret was safe, and soon I'd be off on a journey with both of my best friends.

Life was good right then.


	4. Bradley and Dancing Cyndaquils

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 4**

"Let me guess; a Fire Pokemon?" My dad just happened to be a Pokemon professor. Not very well known, but Professor Plamenu was famous on Cinnabar for his research into the volcanic Pokemon that live in our world-famous volcano.

"Yup!" Danny said, knuckling my head and stroking Blitz' back.

"Well, take your pick. I'm afraid that the Chimchar was taken by Professor Rowan for this year's ten year olds in Sinnoh, but the Torchic, Charmander and Cyndaquil are still up for grabs. I know what Anastasia would have wanted, but take your pick."

I leapt up and darted into the pen containing the three said Pokemon.

A Torchic immediately jumped on top of me and plucked the fluff out of my tail and mane, and it bloody hurt!

"Get off me!" I shouted, shaking it off where it scrambled to its feet and stared at me, clearly affronted.

"Don't you know that it's dangerous to swing people around when they're pregnant?! Jeez Louise!" she immediately stalked off to a corner where there was a little nest of fluff and straw.

The Cyndaquil sniggered and started dancing weirdly.

"Are all of you crazy?" I asked the Charmander, who was sitting next to me, and he shrugged. He looked sane enough, but so had Torchic for the split second she was at the other end of the pen.

"I don't think I am, but please make your trainer pick me! I am sick of being with crazy females who only think of non-existent eggs or getting the dance to the Macarena correct."

I snorted and patted him on the back.

"Luckily for you, my trainer made his mind up when he was seventeen. And there's only me and Blitz, we are female but we certainly aren't crazy."

Charmander looked confused and, right on cue,

"I'll take the Charmander, he and Amber seem to like each other."

I grinned and he immediately looked startled.

"Were you human?" he said, cocking his head suspiciously.

Wow, Mew could tell the future!

"Yep, but I'm not crazy. I was bitten by a Seviper while camping with my trainer and Blitz. Blitz was my first Pokemon, but now she's more like my new mum. My trainer used to be my boyfriend, but as I'm dead to him, I don't think I am anymore."

"Hey, Danny said that you're the new one on the team! Glad you can join us!"

Blitz trotted over and grinned down at the Charmander.

He currently looked stoned, as he was still digesting the information I had just fed him.

Blitz narrowed her eyes at me.

"Amber, you told him didn't you."

"He asked!"

"Hey, what do you want to be called, big fella?"

Danny picked up Charmander and looked him in the eyes.

"How about... Bradley? Brad for short."

Char- Bradley nodded happily and was set on the ground next to us.

"Hello, _Bradley_." I said mockingly, and he smirked at me.

"It was better than what he could have chosen. I mean, he could have called me Firefly or something twee like that."

"True. Anyway, Brad, how'd you end up here?"

I gestured with a paw vaguely, meaning Cinnabar Laboratory.

"Oh. I lived in the volcano, but then this guy came and caught me. When I got out of the Pokeball I was here."

"What was it like in the vol-?"

"Time to go, guys!" Blitz scowled as her question was interrupted by Danny, who put me and Bradley on Blitz' back and, waving at my dad, strolled out of the lab door. Blitz followed at a trot.

"Gee up, Blitz!" I said, Blitz growling threats under her breath.

Bradley laughed and Blitz jumped, sending us flying.

"Hey!" I shouted indignantly, Bradley laughing helplessly and not succeeding on standing back up.

When he did finally, we chased after Blitz, laughing like loons.

~_~_~_~

"Where are we going first?"

"I told you a few minutes ago, we're going to Cinnabar Gym!"

Bradley was perched on Danny's shoulder, and I was lying on my back in Danny's arms.

Blitz was walking alongside Danny, and we were all heading for the volcano through the thick jungle.

"In the jungle... the quiet jungle... the lion sleeps-"

"What's a lion?"

I paused. Now that Brad mentioned it, what was a lion?

"I have no idea."


	5. Maternal Instincts and Battles

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 5**

"In the jungle... the quiet jungle... the Luxray-"

"SHUT UP!"

Blitz and Bradley both shouted in exasperation. Blitz sighed.

"God, I'd forgotten how annoying you are on long journeys."

I stuck my tongue out at her.

"Mleh!"

"How immature."

"THAT'S IT!"

Bradley scratched both of us across the face and sat back on Danny's shoulder.

"Oww." I rubbed my face and scowled.

"Hey! Wait! Are you a trainer?"

I, Blitz and Danny turned around to see a girl running towards us through the trees.

She was wearing green flipflops, white short shorts, and a green and white stripey tank top.

She looked like a yoghurt advert.

"Yeah, why?"

Danny asked when the girl had stopped beside me.

She stopped breathing heavily and grinned.

She took a Pokeball off her belt and smirked.

"Then I challenge you to a battle!" she cried, throwing the ball high into the air and expelling a Spheal onto the grassy ground.

"All right, go Amber!"

I bounded forward happily, the Spheal staring at me like I was mad.

"You going down!" it said sweetly.

"You need to learn grammar!" I said equally sweetly, and it immediately scowled.

"Polar! Water gun!"

"Amber, use extremespeed!"

As the rush of water was about to hit me, I zipped behind the Spheal.

It waddled around stupidly searching for me.

"Roar, Amber!"

I gave a big 'GRROWLITHE!' and poor little Polar jumped about three feet into the air and bounced on the floor.

She lay there with her little flippers covering her ears, making little yelping noises.

Blitz and Brad chuckled at the little blue blob.

"Polar! Think you can manage an ice beam?"

Suddenly it grinned and shot a big white bolt at me, which I avoided by centimetres.

"EEE!" It froze the end of my tail, and it was soo cold!!

"Amber, use ember!"

I jumped above Polar and shot a ball of red flames at her, melting the ice and showering her with very cold water and very hot fire.

"OWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWWWW!!" she shrieked, waddling around crazily trying to put out the fire blazing on her head.

Suddenly she was enveloped in red light and went back into her Pokeball.

"Good girl, Polar. That's a good Growlithe you've got there. How does it know extremespeed?"

"That's a good question, I only looked on the Pokedex to find out her moves and level.

She's level thirty and has ember, extremespeed, tackle, agility, roar, and scratch."

Suddenly I remembered my frozen tail and concentrated heat energy into it, melting the ice and warming my tail again.

The Pokedex bleeped.

"Oh, and she's just learnt overheat."

As the two human nattered, I looked at Blitz.

She looked back warily, knowing that I was a bit hyper.

"Playfight!"

I leapt on Blitz and started pummelling her.

She pummelled me back and we were soon in a big heap on the ground, laughing our heads off.

Bradley was looking confused.

"Does she do that often?" he asked Blitz, pointing to me where I had discovered how nice my tail looked and was running in circles trying to catch it.

"Yep. Don't look now, but she's about to kill you."

He ducked and I zoomed straight over him, where I slammed into a tree and slid to the ground.

As the others laughed hysterically, I picked myself up and staggered drunkenly to them.

"In the jungle... the quiet jungle..."

"Oh no..."

Bradley groaned and put his little orange hands over his head, and Blitz sighed and smacked my head.

"Ouch!"

"So, what's your name?"

Danny was still talking to the girl.

"I'm Sandra. Sandy to my friends."

"I'm Daniel, Danny to everyone."

"What Pokemon do you have?"

Danny asked, and Sandra took three Pokeballs off her belt.

The Spheal, Polar emerged and sat near a tree, glaring at me, a Scyther appeared from another and immediately climbed a tree, and a tiny Vulpix with only one tail materialized in front of me.

As soon as it saw me, it scuttled behind me and cowered there, shaking and peeking round me at Sandy.

"How young is that Vulpix?!"

Danny shrieked at Sandy as I calmed the baby Vulpix down.

"Oh, I don't know. I caught it the other day and I've been trying to make it battle, but-"

"THAT IS THE STUPIDEST THING YOU SHOULD DO, THAT VULPIX LOOKS LIKE IT ONLY JUST HATCHED!"

The Vulpix whimpered at the big noise, and I hugged it reassuringly.

I liked playing mum to this Vulpix.

"We need to take it to Professor Plamenu, he'll know what to do."

As Danny said this, imaginary pictures played through my mind of my baby Vulpix being taken away.

Danny reached out to me for it, and I growled and pulled back.

When Danny managed to wrestle it from me, it started crying noisily, and I barked and jumped up, biting Danny's hand and grabbing the Vulpix cub.

It immediately stopped crying.

"Okay, I think Amber would burn down the lab if we took it to Professor Plamenu.

I don't want to take you away from your little Vulpix, but it would be upset if it left Amber."

Danny winced and cradled his bitten hand.

Sandy nodded and returned her Pokemon.

"Okay, see you! That Vulpix wasn't a good battler anyway!"

And she promptly ran off.

"Horrible disowning bitch..."

Danny knelt down and stroked Vulpix, and Brad and Blitz came over too.

"He's so cute!"

Blitz cooed, nuzzling him. He let out a small "Vul" and lay down over my paws.

Soon he was fast asleep.

"What should we call him?"

Danny looked at us and we gave him our suggestions.

"Flare!"

"Wisp!"

"Lucky!"

"Hmm... I don't think, 'Char', 'Growl' or 'Doom' would make a good name...

What about Lucky?"

I punched the air with my paw and both Blitz and Brad sighed.

"Do you have a mind-mail thing going on with him? Or was that pure luck?"

Bradley looked really confused, and I grinned and nuzzled Lucky.

I'd say I'm very lucky indeed.


	6. Lucky Guesses and SUB

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 6**

**AN: Please vote on my profile if I should concentrate on this story and scrap TROL, or do both. PLEEAASE, I can't decide!!**

"Amber, where are we going?"

After we found Lucky, we decided to scrap going to the gym and hired a room in a small B&B in Treefield, a small town near the Cinnabar Volcano.

We spent about a month there, mainly playing with Lucky and telling him what everything was, but now we had set off for the Gym again.

"I told you just before, we're going to Cinnabar Gym." I replied to the Vulpix sitting on my head.

His one tiny tail had split into three little curly tails, making him trip over them often.

"What's a Jim?"

"A Gym is a place where Pokemon compete, and if we win then we get a badge."

"How do we compete? Can I try in the Gym?"

He wagged his three tails excitedly, and I heard Blitz behind me squeal in delight and get flamed by Brad. Blitz yelped in pain and kicked Bradley, who flew through the air and landed hard on the dusty path just ahead of Danny.

"Sorry, but you're too young right now to compete in the Gym."

Lucky's ears and tails drooped, and he started whining as the dusty and bruised Charmander picked himself up and walked next to Danny, glaring back at Blitz who was laughing her ass off.

"But Muuum!"

"No ifs, ands or buts, you aren't competing in the Gym until you're at least six months old."

"Awww. Will you be competing?"

"Probably. It depends on whether Danny chooses me. He might choose Blitz or Brad, but any of us should be able to win."

"How do you compete?"

"It's a surprise!"

"Muuum!"

I grinned as he stomped on my head and flopped down in the pluffy fur on my head, sulking.

"Actually, who do you think will be 'competing' in the Gym? I heard the Leader's Pokemon are super tough." Bradley asked, slowing his pace until he was walking next to me.

"I would say definitely Blitz. She's the most powerful of us three, and just before I you-know-whatted, I measured her level on my old Pokedex. About a month-and-a-half ago she was level sixty-two, and she's probably grown by at least two levels since."

"So that's why she can kick so damn hard..." he said thoughtfully, rubbing his backside where he had landed.

Said Houndoom then trotted forward and joined in our conversation.

"I'd say you would be in the competition, too. You're quite powerful."

"Actually, that's a good point. I don't know what my level is!" I laughed and quickened my walking, trying to catch up to Danny as Blitz and Bradley chatted some more.

~_~_~_~

After about two hours more walking, Bradley started moaning. Trust me; a whiney, tired, hungry Charmander is not a good walking buddy.

"Sooooooooo tired....." He moaned, dragging his feet and slumping forwards until his orange nose nearly touched the ground. I was just glad he hadn't started-

"Are we there yet?"

"Oh, nooo..." Me and Blitz immediately began, 'Operation SUB' (Shut-Up-Bradley), which involved a very familiar song...

"In the jungle... the mighty jungle... the Luxray sleeeps toniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!"

"AAAAAAAAAAHHH!"

Bradley screamed and ran- no, positively sprinted (despite the fact that he had recently complained of his feet nearly dropping off) to Danny, climbed to his head, and covered where his ears would be with Danny's hair.

"In the jungle... the quiet jungle... the Luxray sleeps, TONIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIGHT!!"

"Nooo... make it stop!" I heard a moan from Brad and me and Blitz burst out laughing before starting the REALLY annoying bit.

"A-WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-EEEEEE-EEEEE-EEEE-EEE a wimba wayyyyy!"

"I have strange Pokemon; I could swear that they're singing the Luxray King..."

Danny muttered to himself, and I got a glimpse of Bradley's haggard face.

Blitz snorted and Lucky looked up from where he was lying on my head, confused at all the noise.

"A WEEEEEEEEEEE--"

"Hey, look at that!"

We stopped as Danny put Bradley down ("Are we stopping for food now?!") and pointed through the trees to where a small flame could be seen, occasionally moving.

"Blitz, go get it!" Danny whispered, and with a nod, Blitz silently took off through the trees.

Several minutes, flashes of fire and weird noises later, Blitz came out, triumphantly dragging a fainted...

"Magmar!" Danny said in amazement, hurriedly unclipping an empty Pokeball and capturing it.

He hugged Blitz and released the Magmar, who stood up and grinned lazily around at us.

"Wow, he sure is forgiving, to grin at Blitz like that just after she owned him!" Bradley said out of the corner of his mouth as Danny pondered a name for the Magmar.

"Yeah... or he's got a really REALLY bad memory," I said back, as Magmar grabbed a stick and set it alight. We stared.

"How'd you like being called Inferno?" Magmar nodded and flamed Danny's face.

"I'll take that as a yes..." Danny said as he walked away from Inferno holding his blackened head.

"Uh... hi?" I approached Inferno who blinked lazily at me.

"Hello, Amber." Brad and Blitz stared.

"How'd you know my name?!" I nearly screamed. He shrugged.

"Lucky guess," He then proceeded to correctly guess Bradley' and Blitz' names as well.

"Hey, where's Lucky?"

I screamed in terror and zoomed behind Bradley.

"How does he know about Lucky?!" I screamed at no one as Inferno stared.

"Is she always like this?" he asked Blitz who narrowed her eyes.

"No, it's just a bit creepy to find a Magmar that none of us have seen before who knows all of our names including her cub's."

Inferno nodded slowly and sat down.

"I can't help it. I always have known random things like people's names and what their favourite colours and food are and things like that."

I slowly walked out from behind Brad, still wary of Inferno.

"What's Brad's favourite food?"

"Rice balls!"

"AAAAAH HE KNOWS EVERYTHING!!" I yelled, running in circles madly.

"Now would be a good time to poke her right where she hates it," Inferno suggested to Blitz, who stared at him in amazement for a second before poking me in the ribs.

"Yowch!" I sat down, rubbing my stomach and glaring at Inferno.

"Fine, I'll accept that you weren't stalking us," I said grudgingly, placing Lucky down in front of me.

"What's that?" Lucky asked me, pointing at Inferno.

"That's a Magmar, and his name is Inferno. And it's rude to point." I said, nudging his paw down.

"By the way, when are we going to eat already?!" Bradley shouted, remembering his extremely empty stomach.

"Actually I'm quite hungry too," Inferno said, leaning back against a tree.

"Here's lunch!" Danny suddenly cried, carrying a tray full of Pokemon food and some milk for Lucky.

"FINALLY!" Bradley screeched, positively leaping into the air and attacking the food. Bits of Pokefood flew everywhere, splattering me and Inferno.

"Nice." Blitz said sarcastically as I wiped some brown mush from my eye.

"Lovely table manners, Brad, just lovely." I called up to him, shaking the muck from my fur as he looked down sheepishly.

"Sorry!" he said back as Lucky rolled around laughing.

My fur was going to be horrible tomorrow.


	7. And That is How We Do That

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 7**

**AN: Thanks to mrkrabbz44 and Dracoess for reviewing! Both gave me positive review****s and suggestions for what I should do in the story, and I was really pleased to get these reviews. Please review, because I only have two, and I need more! Pretty please? :)**

"Well, here we are! Time to challenge Blaine!"

We had arrived at the Cinnabar Gym, well known for its Gym leader, Blaine, who only used... guess what? Fire Pokemon.

In true Danny fashion, he had taken us to the Pokemon Centre nearby, rested up for the night, and come to the Gym at seven in the morning.

As Lucky yawned, Danny pushed open the doors and strode in confidently, me following behind. Gym rules state that only one Pokemon can be out of its Pokeball at a time, but Lucky didn't have one, so nya nya nyaa!

"Have you come to challenge me?" A voice echoed around the cavern. After all, the Gym was built into the volcano, so it was pretty cool.

"Yes. Can we battle now?" Danny shouted.

"Battle?" Lucky asked as lights flared and the battlefield was illuminated.

"As you wish, but I won't let up. Four Pokemon each. Go!" Blaine shouted, opening a Pokeball and expelling... a Rapidash, who whinnied and reared on its hind legs.

Danny chucked a Pokeball into the field.

"Go, Brad!"

The Charmander curled his little hands into fists and bounced around, glaring at the Rapidash. Rapidash smirked.

"Rapidash, use quick attack!" Blaine yelled, and the Rapidash zipped behind Bradley and slammed into him.

"Aah!" he yelled as he flew through the air and landed with a bump on the ground near us.

"Bradley!" Lucky yelled, and jumped off my head and raced up to him.

"Lucky, no!" I shouted, running after him.

"Rapidash, use horn drill!"

The lethal horn on the Rapidash's head span like a drill, and it raced towards us.

"Lucky, we have to go! I'm sorry, Brad. Do your best!" I said, picking up Lucky in my mouth and diving out of the way as the Rapidash crashed into the ground, sending dust everywhere.

When the dust cleared, the Rapidash was still standing, and poor battered Bradley was lying on his stomach with his eyes closed and his teeth clenched.

There was silence as he twitched, and the Rapidash's legs were starting to tremble.

Then, with a massive crash, the Rapidash fell, twisting onto its side and lying still.

"Yes!" I whispered, and then everyone's eyes fell on Bradley, who looked up, saw the fainted Rapidash, and hauled himself to his feet.

"And that is how we do that!" he shouted, waving his arms in the air in celebration as the ref announced his victory, then fell with a little splat onto his face, out cold.

Danny recalled him with a "Good job, Brad!" and grinned at Blaine.

"Go, Ninetales!" he cried, as the graceful white fox Pokemon strutted in a circle and sat down, tails gently fanning out.

"See, Lucky, that's what you'll be if you evolve!" I said, pointing at the Ninetales.

"Wow..." he murmured, as Danny tossed another Pokeball out.

"Go get 'em, Blitz!" he yelled as Blitz howled, sending a shiver up the Ninetales' spine.

"Blitz, use crunch!" Blitz rushed towards the Ninetales, who stood up slowly.

"Ninetales, flamethrower!" Ninetales opened its mouth and spewed flames at Blitz, who was running so fast that she rushed right through them.

Burnt and in pain, she ran blindly into the Ninetales and bit down on its neck hard.

The Ninetales screamed in pain and thrashed about wildly, as Blitz slowly suffocated it.

"Never burn me again," she mumbled, before spitting the unconscious Ninetales out and trotting back to Danny. Then she moaned in pain and collapsed, trembling.

"She must really not like fire," I mumbled as Lucky jumped off my head and stared at Blaine.

"He's good," he said worriedly. "What if his Pokemon beat us?"

"Don't worry, even if they do, which they won't, we'll just try again tomorrow." I reassured him, and he nodded and returned to watching the battle.

"Magmar, go!" Blaine sent out his most famous Pokemon, and I knew who Danny was going to send out.

"Inferno, go!"

The two Magmars stood at opposite ends of the field, staring at each other expressionlessly.

Then their faces contorted in inexplicable rage, and they flew at each other.

Soon there was a great cloud of dust covering the battlefield, and no one could see what was going on, until about five minutes later, a Magmar flew above the cloud of dust and landed on its head hard near Blaine.

The dust cleared, and there standing triumphant was Inferno.

"Sorry, Brianna, but I told you I was better at battling!" Inferno called as he was returned to his Pokeball.

"How--?" 'Brianna' asked incredulously as she was returned to her Pokeball.

"Now, not many know this, but my best battler is not Magmar."

"Uh oh." I said, knowing that I was next.

"Amber can beat it!" Danny said, as I licked Lucky and leapt onto the field, trying to sound as ferocious as possible.

"You really think that that puppy can beat... my Arcanine?" Blaine laughed, sending the huge, powerful dog into the arena.

It spotted me and laughed.

"Fine. I'll burn you to a crisp!" it barked. I grinned. He didn't know what my ability was.

"Fire blast!" Arcanine roared and sent a gigantic Kanji (Chinese symbol for 'big') rushing straight towards me.

"Amber, get out of the way!" I stood stock still as the lethal flames flew closer and closer towards me.

"MUM!" Lucky yelled, just as the flames hit me, and everything went red.


	8. Fur & Flames and Monopoly

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 8**

Everything seemed to slow down. The flames rushing past me soothed my hot fur, and danced around me as I started to run through the cloud of flames towards the Arcanine.

I leapt out of the fire, and got a very brief glimpse of the Arcanines astounded face, before time resumed its normal speed and I slammed into the gigantic Legendary Pokemon, knocking him to the ground hard.

He wheezed as he stood up again, and looked me in the eye.

"You're not as wimpy as I thought you were, pup."

"Now, Arcanine! Stomp!" He grinned at me and I grinned back, before he reared onto his hind legs and stomped the ground in front of me.

"Extremespeed, Amber!" I immediately galloped around the battlefield, randomly turning around and looping in circles before going in a straight line again.

"Try a take down, Arcanine!" The ground shook as 350 pounds of fur and flames raced towards me. I stopped, right in front of him as he got closer and closer.

"AMBER WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Danny shrieked, just as I jumped neatly above Arcanine, who zoomed straight underneath me into the wall, which was directly behind me.

"Uhhh... you did all right, pup." Arcanine said, as he collapsed. He sighed and tried to stem the blood flow from his big black nose. Then he closed his eyes.

"You did all right."

~_~_~_~_~

That night, after a big party to celebrate our first Gym victory, Danny announced that we were booked on the next ferry out of Cinnabar Island to Fuchsia City, and that it left at 3 o' clock the next day, Saturday.

When we'd finished off all the food and playing Monopoly for three hours, everyone went back to their Pokeballs and Danny went to bed.

"What's a ferry?" Lucky asked, looked up at me from between my paws.

"It's a big boat with lots of people and Pokemon, and it sails across the sea to a different place." Lucky looked excited at going on a ferry.

"Now go to sleep. Otherwise you'll have to sleep through the ferry trip." At this, Lucky squeaked and immediately closed his eyes.

I closed mine and laid my head down next to Lucky's, and immediately fell into a dream.

**AN: Sorry about the shortness of the chapter, but this is just a sort-of link chapter from the Gym battle to Amber's dream next chapter. :)**


	9. Custardland and Reggie Turnstone

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 9**

**AN: Thanks to **

I stood up and looked around; I was surrounded by an impenetrable white mist, and I couldn't even see the ground beneath my paws.

Then I heard a rushing sound and the mist swirled away, revealing all five Legendary Fire Pokemon standing on what appeared to be custard, with Mew floating around Groudon's head.

"Hiya, Amber! We managed to persuade Mew to teleport us all to Custardland, and then let your subconscious mind come here, too!" Moltres beamed, flying over to me and clapping paws/wings with me. I frowned.

"What's that in English?"

"What Moltres meant to say was, we are all in an imaginary place called Custardland, but your body is still on Cinnabar Island." Ho-Oh said, grinning all over his beak. I frowned again.

"...how does that work?" I was still flummoxed, and Mew made an impatient noise and floated over with Groudon, Entei and Heatran following close behind.

"I teleported your imagination here, but left the rest of you back in that cheap B&B." Mew waved her little pink arms around in frustration and rolled her eyes.

"..."

"Just take our word for it; you're in both places at once." Entei stepped forward, and motioned to Moltres.

"Oh, right! Well, remember when I visited you at Danny's house? And I wanted to tell you something important?"

I was about to nod, but the bird just carried on talking.

"Well, now that Mewtwo is frozen solid (courtesy of Articuno), we can tell you. Groudon?"

"Uh? Oh, okay. Well, you're being followed. And the follower isn't nice." he scowled and crushed his claws together and Heatran started talking.

"What happened in your high school?"

"Umm, not very much. I studied Biology and got bullied?" Heatran nodded excitedly.

"Who bullied you?"

"...is Reggie Turnstone following me?"

"Ten out of ten for memory skills!" Heatran said sarcastically, and Entei coughed. Heatran hung his head and Entei smiled smugly.

"I never knew why he bullied me... do you know why?"

"Oh, yes. The thing is, you won't be able to recognize him now. You know we are the Legendary Fire Pokemon?" I nodded as Entei continued talking.

"Well, there are Legendary Water Pokemon too."

"Well, duh!" Entei smacked Heatran as I voiced my opinions.

"This does not sound good. How did he die?"

"Well, remember that Quilava he had?"

I nodded and Ho-Oh continued.

"Well, he got tired of it and abandoned it. But just as he was walking away from it, it evolved into a Typhlosion out of pure rage and incinerated him." I winced.

"Ouch!"

"Well, much like we have come together to help you, the Legendary Water Pokemon decided to come together to help Reggie. And, so did Mewtwo." Mew scowled.

"Nasty clone, anyway Fire Pokemon are much nicer than Water types. Fire Pokemon usually have fur and are nice and warm to cuddle; Water Pokemon smell like Magikarp and are slippery."

We stared at Mew as she stopped her mini rant and looked up, smiling again.

"Well, anyway, he is a Water Pokemon now. We don't know what species, so it'll be hard to know what he'll be. But, he'll know who you are."

_Damn._

"Mewtwo is a traitor. You are the Fire Pokemon's only hope of stopping Mewtwo; because he's planning on using Reggie to control the world."

Mew stopped, and the Fire Legendaries were all staring at me gravely.

"Wait, so a Growlithe is supposed to save the world from Mewtwo and an army of Water Pokemon? How do I do that?"

Moltres and Entei smiled, as the other Pokemon sort of melted into the mist that was descending over us.

"You've got help. Danny, Bradley, Inferno, Blitz, even Lucky will help in their own ways." Entei vanished as the mist turned into flames, licking at me and Moltres' feet as they leapt and danced around us.

Suddenly Moltres shrieked and flapped her wings frantically.

"I ALMOST FORGOT TO TELL YOU, DO NOT GO TO FUCHSIA CITY!"

"What?!" I shouted over the increasing roaring of the flames. I had heard, but I couldn't believe it.

"_DO NOT GO TO FUCHSIA CITY!_"

"WHY?" I screamed over the noise. Moltres gulped frantically.

"TERRIBLE... REGGIE... CELEBI... NOT... FUCHSIA...!" Moltres screeched over the flames as she was consumed and I was alone with the dark red fire, scorching the ground as something yellow and sticky and thick spread under my paws.

"Yuck... custard..." I shied away from the gooey confection and into the fire, where I fell down a long dark tunnel and landed with a WHUMPH! On something soft.

I blinked and looked up, confused.

There was Lucky, curled up in sleep in my paws.

There were Blitz and Inferno, both asleep next to each other on another bed.

There was Danny lying on his back in another bed, Bradley curled up on his chest and rising and falling with Danny's breathing.

There was the window, out of which was the dodgy lit sign reading, 'E ZY REST BED AND B EAKFAST' with the 'R' in Rest flickering feebly as usual.

I shook my head and remembered Moltres' warning.

Then I shrugged and put my head down next to Lucky's for the second time that night.

Eh, I'd tell them in the morning. After all, we leave at three in the afternoon!


	10. Seasickness and Bullies

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 10**

**AN: Woohoo! Tenth Chapter! Thanks to everyone that's reviewed so far!**

"AAAH!"

I jumped about five feet into the air, gave a stupid sort of yelp, and landed on my head about a foot from the bed.

"Oww..." I rubbed my head and noticed everyone running frantically around the room, getting everything together.

I picked up Lucky in my mouth (he was getting too big for my head, he had four tails now!), and looked at the clock.

Two thirty.

The ferry!

Fuchsia City!

The dream!

"Wait everyone!"

"Tell us on the ferry, we've got to go!"

And with that, everyone ran out of the room and out of the front door of the B&B, me following quickly behind.

~_~_~_~_~

Soon we came to the ferry, and with a heavy heart, I climbed aboard with my friends.

With a deafening honk from the ferry's horn, it started moving, and everyone went below deck to our cabin.

"Ah. Maybe I should have booked a three man cabin," Danny rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly as we looked in at the little, dirty cupboard-like room with two grubby hammocks on either side of it.

"Ah, well. Me, Bradley, Amber and Lucky can sleep on this hammock, and Blitz and Inferno can go on that one."

Bradley immediately scooted onto the hammock and lay there, curled into a little orange ball. I trotted over and spat Lucky out, who nudged Brad concernedly.

"Brad? Hey, what's wrong?"

"Don't... like... water..." He shivered and I patted him on the back.

"Anything we can do?" He shook his head. Lucky nudged him again, and Bradley uncurled himself and cuddled Lucky like a plushie.

I stared for a minute before turning around in our pokey, smelly little cabin to face Inferno and Blitz, who were talking about singers.

"Hey, you know Michael Jackson died a few weeks ago?"

"Really?!" Blitz looked genuinely surprised, so I ruled out sarcasm, and scoffed at Blitz' ignorance. Even I had known that!

"Sorry to interrupt this intelligent conversation, but Danny appears to have mysteriously disappeared."

Blitz looked up and pointed to the bathroom door.

"Ah."

While I was talking with Blitz and Inferno, I failed to notice Lucky slipping out of the cabin door. But someone else did, luckily.

"Uh, Amber? There goes Lucky," Bradley looked up with a pale greenish face and pointed to the slightly open door.

"Eek! Thanks Brad!" I shot out of the door and looked up and down the corridor.

Then I saw four little curly red tails disappearing around the corner. I trotted after them, rounded the corner, and saw Lucky.

Unfortunately, as well as Lucky, there were three Empoleon surrounding him.

"Don't you know that this is our side of the ferry?" The biggest stepped closer to him, and he backed away into another of the Empoleon.

"No, I only just got on the ferry, with my mum and her friends. They're going to pummel you, I bet!"

"So, Mummy's going to come and save her little Vulpix cub, is she? Hmm, I don't see any Ninetales around here, so you are abandoned!"

Lucky laughed, and the Empoleon looked at each other, confused.

"Don't be silly, my mum isn't a Ninetales!"

"Too true."

All three Empoleon turned and faced me, and I gulped as Lucky ran up to me with a big smile.

"Sorry, Amber! I went to explore the ferry, but these three penguins said I'd trespassed on their side of the ferry!"

The Empoleon went red.

"We are Empoleon, not penguins!"

I growled as they stepped closer, and Lucky started to look frightened.

"Get behind me," I said, and Lucky scampered behind my tail, peeking around me occasionally to see the Empoleon.

"Who said that this was your side of the ferry? Do you belong to anyone that works here?"

The three Empoleon looked startled and replied.

"No, but we are tough and people are afraid of us, so we get what we want."

"But that's stupid. I'm tough, and some Pokemon are afraid of me, but I don't get what I want." At this, the Empoleon burst out laughing unashamedly.

"You, tough? Well then, take us on. Or, your cub gets a taste of the drink."

"What's the drink?" Lucky asked, and I turned to see his little red face had turned white.

"All right, do your worst. Lucky, go sit up there, boy." Lucky skittered onto the pile of boxes to the right of the corridor, where he would have a good view of the battle.

"Three on one, start if you aren't afraid of beating up a Growlithe." I growled as fiercely as I could, and the Empoleon grinned smugly.

"Everyone, hydro pump!" the biggest called out, and they all opened their mouths and unleashed the equivalent of a waterfall on me.

"Go, Amber!" Lucky called out, and I was hit head on with the water.

I was blasted back into the wall, but aside from that, the water just felt... nice.

I opened an eye, puzzled. Why hadn't it hurt? I shook my head to get the water out of my eyes, and saw the Empoleon standing there, gawping at me.

"You are a Fire Type, aren't you?"

I grinned. Thank you, Moltres!

"Yep. Immune to fire and water!" And with that, I charged.

Several minutes later, there was a pile of Empoleon lying drunkenly in the corner, water everywhere.

"Michael! Greg! Phil! Ah, there you are. What have you been doing?" the teenage boy spotted me and laughed at his three Empoleon.

"Got beat up by a Growlithe?! Wow, you sure need more training. Come on, then."

And the boy and his Empoleon walked out of the door, grumbling.

I turned around and met Lucky, who hugged me tight.

"Come on, Lucky. Let's go back to the cupboard, and no running off this time."

"I won't, mum!"

~_~_~_~

About an hour later, in the middle of playing Scrabble with Lucky and Brad, a yell of annoyance was heard from down the corridor.

"WHO FLOODED THE PLACE?!" Me and Lucky looked at each other and smirked, as the aggravated caretaker cleared up the water from my fight.

Danny suddenly burst in, laughing his head off.

"You know there's a rumour going around that the Sinnoh champ's three Empoleon got beat in a fight by a Growlithe! Imagine if that was you, Amber!"

Lucky giggled and Brad grinned.

"Why're you lot so happy, eh?" Blitz said, trotting up and spotting our faces.

"Ah, nothing."


	11. Boredom and Blenders

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 11**

"In the jungle, the mighty--"

"SHUT IT!"

"Sorry, but this ferry is just so _boring_!" I moaned, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. I sighed, and Lucky climbed onto my chest, growling playfully.

"Oh, fine. I'll have a playfight."

As me and Lucky wrestled, Inferno looked at Brad and pointed at us.

"Do they do that a lot?" he asked, curiously. Brad nodded.

"You can tell when she's bored, because she sings the Luxray King and does whatever you tell her to out of boredom." Inferno nodded slowly and Brad swatted a fly with his tail.

"I win!" Lucky yelled, sitting on my chest and grinning at me. I wheezed.

"Yes, but can you please get off me? You're getting too heavy and big for my lungs to take," I puffed, Lucky hopping off and I sat up and sighed.

"Well, that was fun while it lasted. How long does the ferry take to get to Fuchsia City?"

"From start to finish, about a day and night. We've been on it for about five hours, now, so we still have a long way to go!" Blitz grinned evilly as I moaned and clutched my head.

"But I'm so damn BORED! How am I going to survive this trip?!"

"Why don't you explore above deck? I'll come, too. I haven't seen it yet." Bradley jumped off the hammock and walked to the door, where he jumped and caught the door handle, kicking it forwards before swinging off it again.

"I need to evolve," he said, as I fell off the hammock and trotted to him.

"What happened to sea-sickness?" I asked, and he shrugged.

"See ya!" Blitz yelled after us as the door swung shut.

"I hope it isn't raining outside, otherwise I don't think we'll be able to get back into the room." I said, thinking of Danny snoring on the hammock with Lucky curled up next to him.

"I hope it isn't raining, because I'm not immune to water like you. It's not fair; you said you got gifts from every Fire type Legendary!" Brad grumbled and folded his little arms.

"It's only because I'm reborn, it's not my fault!" I said, as we walked out of the ferry and onto the deck, where about ten people were sunbathing next to a pool.

"Hey, I wonder if I can still swim," I said to myself, and ran towards the pool.

"Amber!" Brad shouted as I cannonballed into the pool, sloshing water all over the sunbathers nearest the pool. As they stood up, gasping and squealing with cold, one of the swimmers swam up to me and started.

"Hey, this must be the Growlithe that beat those Empoleon!" he called back to the other swimmers, and soon I was surrounded by swimmers talking and stroking my wet fur.

As one left, I saw that Bradley had turned around and was walking slowly back into the ferry, and I doggypaddled to the edge of the pool. I climbed out, shook myself and galloped after him.

"Hey, Brad! Wait!"

He turned around and glared at me.

"What do you want? Tired of being admired by your new friends?" he sneered, and I started. Bradley never sneered at people! He was the funny one that made jokes and forgave everyone for everything!

"No! I only wanted to see if I could still swim, and those swimmers came up! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry, hah!" And with that, Bradley stalked off back towards the deck.

I shook my head to clear it, and then walked back to the room.

"Hey, Amber! Nice fur!" Blitz called out when I pushed open the door, and I realised that my fur was standing completely on end and I looked like an orange and cream hairball.

"What've you been doing, Amber?" Danny had apparently woken up, and he grabbed a big Growlithe brush and pulled me onto the hammock next to him.

As he brushed me, I told Blitz and Inferno about Brad's grumpy behaviour. They both nodded.

"Sometimes Charmanders get moody when they're about to evolve. Maybe he's going to evolve soon," Inferno suggested, and Blitz nodded.

"I got moody when I was going to evolve. Remember, Amber?" I grinned and remembered when she'd ransacked my kitchen because she felt grumpy.

"I couldn't find the blender anywhere, and then I found it hidden in the fridge a few days later!" Blitz laughed, and Danny finished brushing me.

"There you are. Back to normal!" I grinned and jumped off the hammock to talk some more with Blitz and Inferno.

~_~_~_~

"Mum, where's Brad?" Lucky raised his head from the hammock next to me, blinking sleep from his eyes. I looked up, too lazy to lift a paw.

"Dunno, now go back to sleep."

"But Muuum!"

"Oh, all right. I'll go look for him, just tell everyone where I am,"

"Okay," he said, flopping onto his side and immediately falling asleep. I yawned and fell out of the hammock, making a big thump.

"Okay, that hurt..." I shook myself and stood up, to meet Inferno.

"Hey, what's up?"

"Going to look for Brad; lizard features' buggered off somewhere," I said, and Inferno shrugged and got back into his and Blitz' hammock.

The door creaked as I nudged it open, and I padded down the corridor. I came to the deck and looked up at the night sky, where I could see all the stars.

I stood there for a while, but gradually snapped out of it. I always had been entranced by the moonlight, ever since I was about five years old.

"Bradley!" I called, padding around the deck, looking under tables and chairs and under the drinks stand.

"Hey, Brad! Where are you?" I shouted, and sat down next to the pool.

The moonlight was casting a white light over the water, occasionally speckled with blue spots as the water waved, and I spotted something in the water.

"Brad?" I stood up and squinted. Suddenly the moonlight shimmered behind a cloud, and the shape returned to its normal crimson colour.

"Bradley!" I jumped into the pool and swam up to him. The flame on his tail was extinguished, but if he'd only been floating there for a few minutes it could just be relit.

I ducked under him and swam up again, so that his Charmeleon body was draped over my back, and swam to the side of the pool. I clambered out and shook him off me, and blew fire over him, instantly relighting his tail and consuming him.

Suddenly he sneezed and shook a bit, before standing up and turning to face me. I stopped breathing fire, and he grinned.

"Sorry about earlier, but I really didn't feel good."

"It's fine!"

"Ow." I instantly felt a lot of déjà-vu, except the other way around from when Blitz crushed me with a hug.

"Sorry! You know, I thought you were dead for a minute!" I released Brad and he grimaced.

"Sorry! I just felt horrible earlier. I've always been ignored by everyone that I met, even my family, just because I was the smallest."

"I thought you were just as tall as any other Charmander."

As we walked back to the 'room', a horrible thought occurred.

"Hey, how did you end up in the pool in the first place?" Brad shivered.

"I was sitting next to it, just thinking, and the boat got hit by a big wave and knocked me in. Why?" I laughed.

"I thought you were suicidal!" Bradley scoffed.

"Not me. Anyway, one more evolution and I'll be able to fly!" he made a running leap and waved his arms, looking silly until he faceplanted into a wall, when he just looked stupid.

"Slick," I snorted as he slid down the wall and stood up, staggering a bit.

"Oh, shut up." he said, smacking me on my shoulder before running drunkenly to the room. I followed and soon we were both sleeping next to Danny, with Lucky greeting Brad happily.

"Now, go to sleep before you wake the whole ferry up." I patted Lucky and he obediently lay down over my back, going to sleep instantly.

"I wish I could go to sleep that fast," Bradley said, pointing to the Vulpix draped over my back, snoring.

"Me, too. Well, see you in the morning." I put my head on my paws and closed my eyes, not noticing Brad still staring at me.

"'night," I heard, and felt the hammock shift a bit as Bradley sat leaning against Danny.

I'd always hated ferries.


	12. Archibald the Third and Yellow Plasters

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 12**

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"No."

"Are we there yet?"

"Yes."

"Really?"

"NO!!!" Bradley leapt on me and sat on my head. Due to his newly-evolved Charmeleon body, he was quite big now, and quite heavy.

"Ow!"

"Hey, you deserve it!"

"Can you at least move your tail? Because you're setting my head fur on fire."

"Sorry!" Bradley shifted a bit on my head and the burning on my neck stopped. Lucky trotted up and asked Brad what he was doing.

"Amber was being annoying." Lucky looked at me, and I winked at him. He sniggered.

"Are we there yet?"

"Oh, not you as well!"

For some time after that, the journey passed smoothly. Well, apart from when Inferno got his head stuck in the vent on the ceiling, and when Lucky fell in the loo. But aside from these incidents, pretty much nothing happened.

~_~_~_~

"We're here! Finally!" I stuck my head out of the small window in the cabin, and promptly got smacked in the face by another ship.

"Okay, that's gotta hurt," Blitz walked up to me and examined the side of my face.

"It feels like I just ran into a wall," I moaned, and Danny walked over with a large plaster.

"Here, this might help," he said, sticking it on my cheek.

"What do you mean, _might_?" I asked, as Lucky sniggered at the yellow plaster on my face.

"Anyway, off we go! Fuchsia City, here we come!" Danny stood up and headed for the door, all of us following.

On the way out, we passed a rich-looking boy, who had his nose stuck in the air, and a depressed-looking Flareon following him sadly.

Me and Lucky ran up to the Flareon, who turned around and smiled widely. His whole demeanour changed in one glance at me and the Vulpix next to me.

"Hi! I'm 'Archibald the Third' according to him," he looked over his shoulder at the pompous boy. "But my real name is Flare. Pleased to meet you!"

"I'm Amber, and I'm a human that was bitten by a Seviper and reborn as a Growlithe. If you're gonna be friends with everyone, then get used to craziness." Flare positively jumped for joy, and Lucky copied him happily.

"Please can you figure out a way to get my owner to abandon me? He drives me around the bend," Flare shuddered, and Blitz and Inferno, who had evidently been eavesdropping, both asked why.

"Because--"

"Ugh! Stop associating with those dirty little mongrels and heel!" Rich Brat suddenly stalked out of nowhere and dragged Flare away.

"See what I mean?" He yelled to us, as he was hauled away.

"We'll try to figure out something!" Brad yelled back, as they rounded the corner and went out of sight.

Blitz and Inferno sighed sadly.

"Poor guy. When we get to the Pokemon Centre, we'll put our heads together and get Flare in our gang. Deal?" We all nodded, and Blitz smiled smugly.

"Now, let's catch up to Danny!" Brad shouted, and we all galloped off after our trainer.

"Where were you lot? Anyway, we've got about a day's trek to Fuchsia City, and then we can have some well-earned rest before beating the Gym there. How does that sound?"

Everyone shouted in agreement and Danny grinned happily.

"Right, men!" Me and Blitz scowled and Danny laughed nervously.

"And women!" We smiled, and Danny continued.

"Well then, off we go!" And off we went.

~_~_~_~_~

"Brad, finish this with a metal claw!" Bradley's claws glowed bright white, and he slashed the poor Pachirisu twice across the stomach.

As Bradley stepped back, Pachirisu held its bleeding stomach, squealed in pain and fell onto its back, fainted.

"Well done, Flash." the red haired girl returned her fainted Pachirisu and smiled, getting another Pokeball.

"Go, Hydro!" A huge Blastoise emerged in a blast of red light, and Danny stared.

"I don't just do cute and cuddly Pokemon." the girl said, and I instantly felt a lot of respect for her.

"Okay, then. Go, Blitz!" Danny said, and Blitz trotted into the clearing where our battle was taking place. We had stopped here for a picnic, and found (Inferno sat on a 'rock' which turned out to be Redhead) this girl, who challenged us to a battle. Inferno had knocked out her Phanpy, Brad had defeated her Pachirisu, and now hopefully Blitz was going to win against Hydro.

"Prepare to be mashed to pulp," the huge Blastoise grunted, and Blitz shivered.

"I wish Danny knew my special ability," I whispered to Brad, and he nodded vigorously as Blitz was tossed about like a rag doll on a hydro pump.

"One hit KO," Redhead said proudly, hugging her Blastoise.

"Well done, Blitz! Now, go Inferno!" The Magmar walked slowly in front of Hydro, who scoffed again and readied his water cannons.

"Aqua ring, Hydro!" Hydro surrounded himself with water, leaving Inferno powerless.

"Inferno! Use glare!" Inferno stared into the water as hard as he could, but the Blastoise was so deep in the water it was all just a blurry mess to his vision.

"Hydro, don't stop aqua ring, but use take down as well!" The ball of water started moving fast towards Inferno, and he froze, was hit head on and immediately fainted.

"Well done, Inferno!" Danny said, returning Inferno and looking at me and Brad, figuring out which would be better. I grinned, and he pointed at me.

"Go get him, Amber." I growled and ran to the end of the clearing, Brad and Lucky cheering.

"A Growlithe? Not even an Arcanine could stand my Hydro's water cannons!" I snarled in anger as the obnoxious girl laughed at me.

"Hydro, let's finish this quickly. Hydro pump!" With a laugh, the water rushed towards me at an impossible speed. I dug my claws into the dirt, and felt the water rush past me unharming me.

"But---? What--?" the Blastoise froze in disbelief as I leapt out of the water, unscathed, and launched a mega kick at his head.

As he fell to the ground, a magnificent bruise blooming on his forehead, he suddenly stared.

"The Empoleon... said on the ferry..." he murmured as he fainted.

For a few minutes there was silence, until Brad and Lucky leapt up cheering and the redhead returned her Blastoise wordlessly.

"What do you feed that Growlithe?" she asked Danny, who just gaped at me.

I grinned over my shoulder at him, and he smiled cluelessly.

"You are going to do well in the Indigo League," he said, pointing again at me. I smiled proudly, and Lucky jumped up, scowling.

"Hey! You don't tell him off for pointing!" he shouted indignantly, and me and Brad fell about laughing at the puzzled Vulpix.


	13. Nobbie and Vermin

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 13**

**AN: Thanks to ****xEmilia, seamy, Dracoess, and mrkrabbz44 for nice friendly reviews! Especially thanks to seamy, who informed me of the mix-up of Chapters 9 and 10. XD I felt like such an idiot... :)**

"Uhhh... my feet hurt..." Blitz whined as Lucky, Brad, Inferno and I trotted along perfectly fine.

"Stop whinging. Your feet are fine." Brad said, looking over his shoulder at Blitz, who was dragging her feet and moaning.

"If your feet hurt that much, you can go in the Pokeball," Inferno suggested, and she smiled.

"Good idea!" she ran up to Danny, nosed the button on her Pokeball and zipped inside.

"Whew... at least now we don't have to put up with her whining now." Brad sighed, and Lucky nodded.

"Hey, remember Flare? I wonder where he is, with that posh nob trainer," I said, and Inferno nodded.

"Flare was nice. He was happy at the sound of craziness!" Lucky said happily, Inferno still nodding.

"I hope he's at the Pokemon Centre in Fuchsia," Brad said hopefully, as I smacked Inferno, who was still nodding.

"Stop that!" I cried, and Inferno grinned and nodded.

"GAH!" I scratched him across the face and glared at him. He wiped a spot of blood from his face and grimaced as Brad laughed.

I wiped the blood off my claws as we strolled into Fuchsia City, and I realized just why it was called that.

There were pink buildings with pink doors, pink market stalls and instead of the usually red roof of the Pokemon Centre, it was... you guessed it, it was pink.

Even the sidewalk was pink, for God's sake!

"Ew." I said, and I almost see the agreement emanating from my three travelling companions.

"Well... let's go to the Pokemon Centre, then..." Danny said, disgust evident in his voice, and I just prayed that the inside of the Pokemon Centre wasn't pink.

It was pink.

As me and Brad tried not to vomit, Lucky squealed and interrupted our gagging noises.

"It's Nobbie!" he shouted, and we turned around at the sound of a familiar conceited voice.

"...yes--yes, but do you have any rooms that aren't pink? Yes, of course I can pay extra, you silly woman!"

"Amber! Lucky!" a red and cream blur shot towards us and skidded on the shiny floor (Pink, of course. Blech.), sliding straight past us and into the wall (Again, pink. A Chansey would easily have completely disappeared into it, given the chance.).

As Brad and Inferno winced for Flare, Lucky helped him up.

"I never thought I'd see you guys again!" Flare was completely ignoring the large bruise welling above his left eye, and grinning like a maniac.

"Remind me never to let you try coffee," I said, and Flare laughed.

"Thought anything more about an escape plan yet?" We shifted uncomfortably.

"No, sorry. We thought we would make sure we would see you again, before thinking up a plan," Blitz said, trotting over from where Danny was debating on whether to start a petition to make the Pokemon Centre a no-pink zone.

"Ah, that's okay. We're staying here for a few weeks, so we've got plenty of time to think." Flare waved his paw dismissively of our broken promise, and smiled.

"So, what are your names? I only know Lucky and Amber," He looked at the Charmeleon sprawled on the floor next to me, who waved.

"Bradley. Mostly just Brad." Flare nodded and looked at Inferno, who was sitting on the floor, bouncing a ball he'd found near the city gates.

"Inferno," he grunted, not looking up, and Flare rested his gaze on the Dark Pokemon standing next to me.

"I'm Blitz, and I'm not evil," Flare blinked and then shook his head, seemingly to clear it.

"Okay, well, I'm in room 1, but don't try the door. Percy will scream and complain to the Pokemon Centre about vermin being here, and it's nothing personal! He thinks any Pokemon other than me is vermin, simply because they don't belong to him," Flare gabbled, spying 'Percy' coming towards us out of the corner of his eye.

But someone got here before him.

"Hey guys, looks like you found a new friend!" Danny said, squatting down and ruffling the fur on Flare's head, just as Percy came up, fuming.

"Excuse me, but did I say that you could pet my Flareon?" Danny stood up, and I was glad to say he was a good foot taller than midget Percy. Or it might just be than Danny was abnormally tall, about six feet two, and when I was a human I had to stand on tip-toe just to kiss him.

"No, but I didn't think you would mind. Anyway, your Flareon seemed to like it," At this, Percy glared at Flare, who whimpered. Blitz growled, and he stared at her, then at everyone else.

"Well well, so you own these filthy mongrels," Percy muttered, straightening up from his examination of our faces.

"I'm sorry?" Dannys face was twisted with anger, and I wondered how Perce dared to look so calmly at him.

"I know when I see a lost cause," Percy glanced at Flare, then at me.

"Let's have a battle. If you win, you get Archibald the Third. If I win... I get your Growlithe."

I froze as the rest of my team stared at me, and Percy carried on talking.

"I heard rumours on the ferry, about a water-resistant Growlithe that was heading to Fuchsia, and I think that this is it."

Danny looked at me.

"Well? Reckon we can beat him?"

I snapped out of it and barked twice, nodding vigorously.

"Okay, then. We're all ready for you." Percy grinned pompously, and rubbed his hands together as Brad and Inferno looked back and forth from Dan to Perce like a tennis match.

"Excellent," Percy said evilly.

I gulped.


	14. Deirdre and Ouchies

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 14**

"A full 6 on 6 battle, is that alright with you?" Percy shouted from his end of the battlefield, Flare standing miserably at his side. We had quite a crowd of spectators, who all seemed to hate Posh-Nob.

"That's fine by me!" Danny yelled back, and I suddenly felt the blood drain out of my face. Surely he wasn't thinking of letting Lucky battle?

"Go, Geraldine!" Perce screeched, letting a six-foot tall Luxray out onto the battlefield, its well-groomed fur crackling with electricity. The watching people laughed hysterically at the ridiculously named Luxray, who hid her face with shame.

"I hate my life," she mumbled.

"Go, Inferno!" Inferno slowly walked onto the battlefield, and Geraldine smiled sadly.

"At least you have a suitable name," she said, and Inferno gave her a pitying glance.

"Geraldine! Thunderbolt!" Geraldine struck Inferno with a huge bolt of lightning, who span on the spot, charred badly, before standing still again and smiling slowly.

"Inferno! Fire blast!" Inferno shot a huge blob of white-red fire at Geraldine, who didn't get out of the way quick enough, and fell to the ground with a quiet, "Well done," and lay still.

"Ugh! You silly cat. You should be ashamed of yourself." Percy spat, returning his wiped out Luxray and sending a large Donphan out, who tossed her tusks threateningly.

"Go, Deirdre!" Percy shrieked, and the Donphan reared, crashing onto the ground and making dust swirl in clouds around her.

"Go, Lucky!" My mouth hung open in disbelief as Lucky squealed in delight and scrambled onto the field.

"Mum, I'm battling! Yay!" I looked at his tails; he had six now.

"Well... I guess you're old enough," I said, and Lucky jumped into the air in joy, and the Donphan zoomed straight underneath him and ploughed into the wall behind.

"I won, I won, I won!" Lucky shouted, dancing in a little circle before running back to me.

"Well done!" I praised, as Percy wordlessly returned the fainted Deirdre and the crowd laughed hysterically.

"Okay, that's going on Youtube. Donphan gets owned by Vulpix," I heard a girl with a pink Mohican laugh as she shut down her camcorder.

Seething, Percy threw another Pokeball.

"Laugh at this, then!" he shouted to the crowd like a maniac, as a simply gigantic Mamoswine materialized in the centre of the battlefield.

"You wanna piece of me?!" he roared, as Percy announced his name, 'Tobalt'.

"Well, looks like you're up, Amber!" Danny said, and I ran onto the battlefield.

"Wait a minute!"

"He's sending out a Growlithe against a Mamoswine?!"

"That Growlithe's gonna end up splattered all over that wall over there!"

"No way a Growlithe can knock out a Mamoswine as big as that!"

"Yeah, but what about the Vulpix? That knocked out the Donphan with one hit!"

The crowd carried on talking and mumbling as Tobalt pawed the ground impatiently and I twitched in anticipation.

"Tobalt, use hydro pump!" the great shaggy trunk faced me and a huge burst of water erupted from it, catching me in the face and sending me reeling back, rolling over and over until I reached the wall.

"That Growlithe can't stand much more, I don't think," one spectator said, as I lay on my side with my eyes closed. My eyes shot open as I heard that, and I roared in anger as I stood up, shaking the water off my fur and glowing bright red.

"Whoa!"

"How did that Growlithe do that?"

"Amazing... so this really is the Growlithe I heard about," I heard Percy murmur, and with another roar I bounded forward, covered in flames and I caught a brief glimpse of the Mamoswines shocked face before I launched myself into its side, knocking it down with a ground-shaking thud.

As I stood up, dazed from the head-on collision, I shook myself and saw the burnt skin where the Mamoswines fur was supposed to be, and then saw that its eyes were closed and its breathing shallow.

"Pathetic," Percy muttered, returning Tobalt and holding another ball up to the sun, ignoring the once again laughing crowd.

"Did you see that Mamoswines face before it got hit?!"

"Totally bewildered!"

"AAH! SHUT UP, AND MAYBE YOU'LL SEE THAT THIS IS HOW WE BATTLE!" Percy screamed, finally losing control and lobbing the ball, where it landed on the ground and opened, revealing a seven foot tall Charizard, which was completely black apart from its dark red wings.

The crowd was instantly dead silent, and the shiny Charizard swished his tail, making the blue flame on the end of it flicker in the air.

"Okay, I've got the perfect opponent! Go Brad!" The Charmeleon materialized in a flash of red light, saw the Charizard and stared. Then he frowned.

"You look just like my old dad," he said. The Charizard smiled evilly.

"DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Bradley leapt at the surprised Charizard, slashing and biting viciously, making red blood spurt from its many new wounds.

"Try shaking it off!" Shiny Charizard shook his head vigorously, and so Brad hung onto the only place he could think of with his strong jaws.

"AAAAAAAAAAARRRRGGGH!" the horrible, strangled roar of the Charizard as its neck was slowly constricted was unbearable to listen to, and I hid Luckys face as the Charizards life was slowly squeezed away.

With a last terrible roar, the Charizard toppled onto its front and Bradley rolled off, shaking the blood out of his eyes.

The crowd was deadly silent again as Percy returned the body of the Charizard to its Pokeball, and we all waited to hear what he would say to his departed Pokemon.

"I hope you're happy," he muttered, as Brad was returned to his Pokeball by a very surprised Danny.

"Erm, sorry about that," Danny said sheepishly as Percy met his gaze with a cold stare.

"No matter. I have lots of better Pokemon back at my mansion," he bragged, and I could see the crowd shaking their heads in disbelief and muttering about cruelty.

"Maybe Roger will do better than old Harry," Percy said loudly, opening a Pokeball which expelled... a seven feet tall, orange Dragonite.

"You can do it, Amber!" Danny cried encouragingly, and I barked once and galloped onto the battlefield.

"Let's go!" Roger shouted, as Percy ordered an ice beam.

The jet of ice shot towards me, and Danny shouted at me to do a take down.

I dodged the ice twice, and leapt, knocking the Dragonite in the stomach and making it stagger backwards before it countered by whamming its thick, scaly tail into my side, knocking me down and winding me.

"Now, seismic toss!" Percy ordered, and Roger picked me up in his orange arms, flew for ages until I could only see clouds, and stared at me.

"I'm sorry about this, but Percy Prat beats us when we fail in battles. So I'm going to use seismic toss, but promise me you won't die."

"I promise, I guess," I said, bewildered, and the Dragonite gave a tired smile, before zooming in dizzying circles before grabbing my front legs, swinging me behind his head so that I was slammed into his back, and throwing me straight down with all his might.

I plummeted down through the clouds, and saw the battlefield zoom towards me.

Then I heard a scream, and saw Lucky's terrified face with his mouth open and tears pouring down his little face, before I hit the ground with a slam.

As I lay on my front, sprawled on the ground with my eyes closed and my legs quivering, I heard a skittering of small claws on the stone floor, and then felt a little warm furry body against my neck, hugging me.

"No, Mum! Amber!" Lucky shouted, but I couldn't open my eyes.

Then I heard another noise and Danny cried out in surprise, and a larger, warmer body was hugging me as well.

"Please don't die, Amber," Brad said quietly, and my eyes shot open for the second time that day.

The two upset Pokemon clinging to my neck didn't see, they were too busy crying, but the Dragonite standing opposite me did, and he winked once before smiling widely.

"I see you kept your promise, then," he said loudly, and Lucky and Bradley looked up and let go in confusion at Roger, who pointed to where I was getting slowly to my feet.

"I never break promises," I grunted, standing up and lifting my head, shaking the blood off me. Then I roared and ran past the two ecstatic Pokemon next to me, towards Roger, who smiled and stood completely still as I crashed into him, head on.

When we rolled to a stop, I was underneath him, and I growled and stood up, Roger lying limply on my back, still with his kind smile on his tired, gentle face before he was returned to the Pokeball, and I promptly collapsed, only just realizing the pain in my chest.

For a few minutes there was silence, and then the crowd cheered loudly, as Lucky and Brad hugged me tight.

"How am I going to get off the battlefield? I don't think I can still walk," I said, breathing heavily.

Brad suddenly looked at me strangely, crawled underneath me, and lifted me onto his shoulders before walking slowly to the edge of the battlefield before putting me down again.

"Thanks..." I said, and he nodded once before sitting next to me, Lucky on my other side.

By now, the battle had started again, the last two Pokemon on either side.

"Go, Reginald!" The Arcanine gracefully shook his mane back and barked deeply.

"Go, Blitz!" the Houndoom was released from her Pokeball, trotted onto the battlefield and howled, sending a shiver down the watchers' backs.

"Give that mongrel a flamethrower!" Reginald opened his mouth lazily and sent a stream of fire at Blitz, who leapt out of the way nimbly.

"Now dark pulse!" a horrible dark purple beam erupted from Blitz' mouth, and struck Reginald right between the eyes, who howled and staggered, his eyes shut tight and his large teeth clenched. Then he stopped shivering, and lifted his head. He opened his eyes and smiled at Blitz, whose mouth was hanging open in astonishment.

"Well done, Reginald. Now finish this with a take down!" Déjà-vu took me over as the Arcanine thundered towards Blitz, who was too tired after her dark pulse attack to move.

"Counter with take down as well, Blitz!" Blitz narrowed her eyes determinedly, and with a howl she sprinted towards the great lionish dog.

"Come on, Blitz!" I yelled as loud as I could without hurting my chest, and she sped up. Something twinkled in the air behind her, and I realised that she was crying, just as they collided with a mighty crash, and a huge cloud of dust covered the battlefield concealing both Pokemon.

"Please, please, please..." Brad and Lucky murmured, just as the pains in my chest got too much and I flopped onto my side, breathing shallowly.

Through my narrowed eyes, I saw the dust clear, showing both Pokemon down, before Blitz struggled to her feet.

I sighed as everyone cheered, and closed my eyes, giving way to unconsciousness.

We had won.

**Hardest chapter in the world to write, and I only just noticed that Flare wasn't in the battle... ah well, he had a sprained ankle anyway ;). Anyway, I won't be writing anything for a week after Friday, so I'll be writing like mad before the end of Thursday. :) Hope you like this story so far!**

**With love from the psychotic, amnesiac one,**

**Pokemaniac(1234)**


	15. Foggy Shapes and High Tech Gizmos

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 15**

**AN: Thanks to all of my reviewers so far; Espeon Master, xEmilia, seamy, Dracoess and mrkrabbz44, for nice reviews and comments! :) If you didn't read the end of the last chapter, I won't be here for a week starting on Friday morning, so I will try my best to get at least this chapter posted and up. If you're reading this, then obviously I managed ;)**

"Ugh..."

"Hey, Amber!"

"She's waking up!"

"Are you okay?"

I opened my eyes groggily and looked up. Foggy shapes swam in front of my eyes, but a blink made them come into focus, and I saw a very concerned looking Brad, Lucky, Blitz and Inferno.

"You know you've been out for two days?" Inferno said, as I sat up.

"Really? It feels like just a few minutes ago you won the battle for us, Blitz. Talking of that, where's Flare?" The Pokemon shifted uncomfortably on either side of the pink (I'm going to kill the girl who built this city) bed, and Blitz spoke up.

"Well, that's just the thing. When I won, Percy wouldn't accept that Inferno was still legible to battle, and he insisted that we'd drawn. So then, Danny filed a lawsuit against him, and we all have to go into court. Me, you; even Percy's Pokemon have to say truthfully what happened."

"How? We speak an entirely different language!"

"That's just it. Apparently, all the regional Professors put their heads together and created Pokemon translators. You just slip the collar onto the Pokemon, and it sends out these little signals that make you automatically speak human."

"Wow! That's really high tech stuff; my dad told me it took years just for Professor Oak to make the Pokedex!" I was astonished, and surprised that none of the others were looking shocked, either. Then I remembered that I had been out for a few days and they probably found out ages ago.

"When is this court session going to be, then?" I asked, shifting my weight on the bed and wincing when my ribs moved.

"Oh, yeah. You broke four ribs, sorry that we didn't tell you. Anyway, it's in three days time, and for now Flare isn't with us. The only problem is, if the Percy and his Pokemon manage to persuade the judge that they won, you'll have a new owner," Blitz said unhappily. I scowled.

"Well, I don't think that's gonna happen. I know that at least Gertrude and Roger will back us up, but I'm not sure about that Arcanine, Reginald I think he was." Brads and Infernos faces lit up considerably at that, but Blitz still looked concerned.

"Yes, but Percy is going to deny and deny that we won."

"Yeah, but aren't Pokemon much more truthful than humans?" Blitz shook her head.

"No, not all. I don't think that Gertrude will be much help, either. She'll just sit there and be all depressed, but from what Lucky and Brad told me about Roger, I wouldn't be surprised if he backed us up completely."

I suddenly began to feel very tired, and felt my eyelids droop.

"Well, if I do get passed on to Percy, I'll just escape back to you lot." I yawned, before my eyes closed completely and sleep overcame me.


	16. Aggron and Youtube

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 16**

**AN: Thanks to Resilient Rose, Espeon Master, xEmilia, seamy, Dracoess, and mrkrabbz44 for reviewing! :) And thanks to anyone who's bothered to keep up with my story for this long!**

"Court is now in session!"

Bang bang bang.

The old woman with the white wig, known as the judge, banged her little hammer thing on the desk, making everyone shut up. Her two bodyguards, Aggron, cracked their knuckled menacingly and leered at the crowd.

Across the hall from us, there sat Percy, Flare, Deirdre, Tobalt, Roger, Gertrude and Reginald, all looking extremely pompous apart from Roger, who just looked tired and unhappy, Flare, who had tears running down his face, and Geraldine, who just sat there depressed.

"Now, Percival. Tell us your account of the story." Judge said, peering unpleasantly over her spectacles at Percy, who opened his mouth ready to speak.

"Well, I sent out Geraldine here for the first round, who totally knocked out the pathetic Magmar that _they_ sent out--"

"OBJECTION!" shrieked the Luxray, and then hid her face again.

"Yes, Geraldine?" the Judge asked kindly.

"Umm, you see... I kind of didn't win that--"

"Of course you did, Geraldine. Don't be so stupid."

The Judge looked incredulously at the spoiled boy, and then turned to us.

"And what about you, Magmar? What's your take on your battle."

Inferno slowly, calmly faced her, and spoke.

"I'm called Inferno, and at the start of the battle, Geraldine hit me with a thunderbolt. I countered with a fire blast, and she fainted. It's as simple as that." Inferno said this painstakingly slowly and carefully, and lots of the court watchers stared at each other in disbelief; they didn't know Pokemon could talk so well.

"Can you confirm this, Geraldine?" Geraldine nodded quickly, and smiled gratefully at Inferno.

"What about you, Daniel?" Danny looked up from stroking me, and said yes.

"Well, Percival. As everyone but you seems to think that Inferno won, I will have to assume that Inferno did win his battle."

Percy turned red, and smacked Geraldine hard on her head, and she shouted in pain before crouching behind Roger. Roger glared at Percy, who shrank in his seat.

"Also, Percival, we do not allow cruelty here." me and Brad grinned as Percy scowled.

"Now, the second round of the battle I'm told was a Donphan against a Vulpix?" the Judge looked around as Lucky shot up from his seat, bouncing up and down in excitement as most of the women watching sighed at his cuteness.

"I was talking to Amber and I jumped and the Donphan went underneath me into the wall! She was knocked out!" Lucky gabbled, and the Judge stifled a snigger before turning to face Deirdre.

"Is this true?" she asked, the corners of her mouth wiggling up and down.

"No! I used rollout on Lucky, and he went flying! It was a one-hit KO!" Deirdre said loudly, swinging her trunk around in agitation.

"OBJECTION!" everyone on Danny's side shouted, and the Judge's wig flew off. She grimaced as one of her Aggron picked it up and placed it on her head.

"Thank you. Yes?"

"We have evidence about Lucky winning this battle." Blitz said, and Lucky nodded.

"There was a girl in the audience, with a pink Mohican. She filmed it and put it on Youtube, she called it something like, 'Donphan gets owned by Vulpix'." Inferno said slowly, and the Judge pulled out a laptop from underneath her desk and started twiddling with the keyboard.

A few minutes later, she spoke.

"Donphan gets owned by Vulpix?"

"Yes." Brad said, as Deirdre gave death glares at us.

"Right. Let's get the projector set up, so that the whole audience can see."

Another few minutes later, when the Aggron had finished setting up the projector, the Judge clicked the mouse, the big white wall flared into colour, and the scene began.

"Mum, I'm battling! Yay!" a small Vulpix could be seen jumping up and down in front of a large Growlithe, behind the blurred crowd.

"Well... I guess you're old enough," I saw myself say, and Lucky launching himself into the air as a blue blur flew under him and into the wall with a muffled crash.

"I won, I won, I won!" Lucky ran in a circle and then to me.

"Well done!" I barely heard myself say, as the crowd was laughing hysterically.

"Okay, that's going on Youtube. Donphan gets owned by Vulpix," I heard a loud, laughing voice say, before the screen went white again and the audience burst out laughing.

"Order! Order..." the Judge tried to stop the laughing, but then started as well

Deirdre mumbled something about a dentists' appointment and scurried under the desk. Percy had now turned a deep shade of crimson.

"Okay, two to Daniel's side, none to Percival's. Now, third round was...?"

"That would be me," both me and the Mamoswine stated, and we growled at each other.

"All right, so who won that?"

"Me," both of us stated and I gaped as he smiled smugly.

"...both of you?" the Judge said cynically, and I growled in frustration.

"No, because I won. He blasted me with a hydro pump, I got back up and ran into his with flames covering me. He was knocked out." I said, and the Judge looked even more cynical.

"How did you get back up after a hydro pump? You're a Fire Pokemon," the Judge said, crowd muttering suspiciously.

"It's true! I don't know why, but I am immune to water!" I said, leaping out of Danny's lap and into the middle of the hall.

"If I'm faking, then Tobalt should be happy to blast me with water again," I said, waiting for the Mamoswine's reaction. He grimaced and stood up, walked in front of me and pointed his trunk into my face, launching a jet of pressurized water into my face.

I dug my claws into the carpet and leapt out of the water, slamming him between the eyes and making him stumble, cross-eyed, to the floor where he lay still.

"And that's basically what happened at the battle," Brad said, as I ran back to Danny, who petted me proudly.

"Remarkable! Well, that's evidence enough for me. Amber won her battle, so now if any of the next Pokemon on Percival's side fainted, Daniel's team have won and they claim their Flareon." I looked across at Percy, and was shocked to find he was grinning.

"Actually, the next Pokemon that I sent out isn't here today." I gasped and looked at Brad, who hid his face in his hands.

Perce pretended to wipe a tear from an eye, and spoke.

"He isn't here today, because their Charmeleon killed him," he said, before pretending to cry. The Judge looked amazed, before turning to us with a grim face.

"Is this true?" Brad stood up and spoke.

"Yes, I killed their Charizard. I thought he was my father, and my father was evil. But do you know what Percy said after the Charizard died?"

Percy's face went white, and the Judge shook her head slowly.

"He said that it didn't matter and he had much better Pokemon at his mansion," Bradley said, before sitting down and hanging his head.

"Well, even if Percy said that, he must have compensation for his loss." My heart stood still and I looked up at the judge, eyes wide with fear.

"I'm sorry, but Percival Tottingham now owns Amber."

I suddenly felt nauseous. I looked up at Danny, who was crying, and then at Brad, who was crying, and then at Roger, who had his head in his hands.

Then I passed out.

**I'm sorry, but I don't think I'll be able to do any more chapters before my holiday. I'll try my best, but I doubt it very much. :(**

**Thanks for all your kind reviews, please review if you haven't already! :)**


	17. Disgusting Little Bastards and Mercedes

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 17**

**AN: Okay, I really should be packing right now. But I really don't want to. :)**

"...Brad?"

"Ah, finally awake, lazy bitch," I opened my eyes fully and saw that I was on a pink (aaargh!) bed in Fuchsia Pokemon Centre. I also saw that a familiar posh nob was standing next to my bed, leering at me.

"Now that you're awake, we can go. I've already checked out of this dirty hovel, so we can get going to the Gym." As he said this, several staff passed by, all with cleaning equipment. I snickered quietly.

"Get off the bloody bed, already!" I scrambled off the bed and landed at his feet. He looked down at me snottily.

"Very good." he said, stamping on my tail and laughing at my agonized shouts of pain.

"Now get going or there'll be more." I scurried from the room, finally knowing what the expression, 'tail between the legs' meant.

Percy followed, and we soon came to the lobby, where familiar Pokemon were milling around the door.

I immediately bounded towards them and Brad flew at me, hugging me tightly, and Danny, with a glimpse at my flattened, bruised tail, shouted angrily across to Percy.

"YOU DISGUSTING LITTLE BASTARD!" Percy grinned lazily and flicked a strand of his blonde hair back stupidly.

"Keep your mongrels to yourself; I and Mercedes are leaving for the Fuchsia Gym," I stopped hugging Brad and looked in astonishment at Percy.

Danny sniggered as everyone howled with laughter.

"You do know that she won't answer to that. Even Pokemon don't like being called stupid posh totty names." Percy snorted, and I made a pact to myself. Whenever I'm called Mercedes or Mercy, I shoot Percy in the face with a fireball.

"Nonsense. Mercedes will always obey me--" 1 Fireball and counting.

"YYYYOOOOOOWWWWW!!" Percy leapt stupidly around the lobby like a demented Politoed, until a helpful Squirtle put out his hair.

His once blonde, straight hair had turned a dirty ashy brown and was stuck straight up like a demented cockatoo's.

As we burst out laughing again, the Squirtle included, Percy's face imploded with rage and he picked me up by the scruff of my neck, pulling out my fur and shaking me around near his face. I saw Blitz looking shocked, Inferno just staring, and Brad looking like he was about to kill something. Probably Percy.

"Never. (shake) Do. (shake) That. (shake) Again." At this he threw me against the wall, and I slid down it in pain, hearing my leg give a nasty click as I reached the floor.

I heard growls and snarls, and I saw Blitz and Brad both attacking Percy viciously.

I got to my feet slowly and winced when I put pressure on my left back leg, so I just held it up. I walked to my friends and they hugged me again, before I heard a shout of "No!", saw a little glimpse of Percy's face and then felt a tingling sensation before I found myself in a little round apartment-like room.

There were two little red sofas, a bed and a fireplace, above which was a picture of my face. The whole room was actually quite pleasant.

I was in the little world of the Pokeball.

~_~_~_~_~

Suddenly a sucking sensation came from where the unopenable door was, and I turned to see that it was open!

I marched to the door and looked out. There was Percy, peering in with an annoyed expression. I pulled a tongue at him, not even sure if he saw it, and slammed the door in his face. I then retreated to the couch and lay on it, ready for a nap.

Then an even stronger sucking sensation came from the door, and I was sucked right out. I materialized in front of a huge Muk, and turned around to Percy, who glared at me.

"Get out there and battle, Mercedes!" 2 Fireballs and counting.

"YOW!" as Percy hopped around putting his hair out, I saw a large pile of rubber tyres near a window, through which warm sunlight was filtering.

I hopped up onto a sunny patch on the top of the tyres, careful of my hurt leg, and curled up for a snooze.

"Mercedes get down here right now!" I was feeling too lazy to flame his stupid face, so I yawned and sent a stream of Pokemon-Food-scented breath at him.

The effect of Growlithe-breath was immediate.

"Ewww," he murmured, backing away from the smell and smiling fakely at the Gym leader, Koga, who was staring at him with narrowed eyes.

"Well? Do you forfeit this round?" Percy growled a 'no', and proceeded to climb up the tyres to me, watched by a stony faced Koga and an amused Muk. I smiled sweetly down at him as he slipped and fell to the floor on his bony bum, and he glared back.

Many trips and cries of 'Ouch!' later, Postman Prat finally made it to me.

"Get down there, NOW!" Percy thundered, as Koga glanced at his watch.

I shook my head, smiled and gently pushed him off, watching him plummet to the floor and land on his bum, again.

As I laughed hysterically, Koga withdrew his Muk in aggravation and the referee announced that Koga had won this round.

"Go, Nidoking!" Koga shouted, a purple dinosaur-like creature appearing before him. It mashed its fists together and roared.

"Go, Deirdre!" Percy screeched, the Donphan appearing in front of the Nidoking. She tossed her tusks and trumpeted loudly.

"Rollout!" Deirdre rolled towards the Nidoking, who stuck out a foot and stopped her.

"Seismic toss, Nidoking!" the Nidoking grabbed Deirdre, leapt high into the air and threw her down where she lay in a mass of splintered wood, knocked out.

The Nidoking landed gently on his feet, and Koga pointed at Percy.

"You know you'll have to pay for that damage," he said, watching with interest the growing flush on Percy's face.

"Reginald, fire blast!" the Arcanine appeared with a howl and shot flames at the Nidoking, blasting him with fire.

Soon, it fell to the floor leaving black ash marks where it lay, and Koga returned it with praise.

"Ariados! Let's go!" the great ugly spider popped out of its Pokeball and made hissing and clicking sounds.

"Reginald, flamethrower!" Reginald opened his mouth and sent a stream of flames at the Ariados, who clicked in terror and shrank back from the heat.

"Sludge!" the Ariados shot purple liquid from the horn on its head, and covered poor Reginald with poison. The Arcanine yelled in horror and flopped on its side, poisoned.

Percy returned Reginald with a grimace on his face, and considered which Pokemon to send out next.

"Go, Roger!" the friendly Dragonite emerged. He was smiling tiredly, but his face fell when he saw me.

"So I guess you really are a part of the team now. I'm sorry." he said, as I motioned to where the Ariados was skittering towards him.

"Oops! I'll talk to you later," he said, rising into the air and avoiding the spider Pokemon's attack.

"Ice beam!" Roger sent a white beam at the Ariados, covering it with ice and freezing it solid.

"And the winner is Percival!" the referee shouted, and Percy smiled.

"Finally you've won something, Roger!" I looked at the Dragonite and he shrugged.

"I win most of my battles, but Percy Prat only considers Gym battles important." I climbed down from my comfy perch on the tyres to be met by a kick from Prat Face.

"Stupid little runt," he grunted, then faking another smile and receiving the Soul badge from a hard faced Koga.

"Look after yourself!" Koga called after us as we exited, then with my keen hearing I heard another mumble.

"And your Pokemon,"

~_~_~_~_~_~

That night, Percy checked into a posh hotel near the centre of Fuchsia City (luckily not pink, phew!) and let all us Pokemon out into our little respective rooms.

Fortunately, I was sharing with Roger and just as I was slipping off to sleep in the little Growlithe bed near the couch, he spoke.

"You know, you could always escape," I looked up at his bed, and saw that he had left it to stare out of the window.

The moonlight made part of his head glow white, and his green eyes reflected it onto the window.

"Yeah... but I'm not sure if I want to on my own," I said, feeling embarrassed as I always did when talking about my emotions.

"I'd escape too," he said, turning away from the window and smiling at me, letting me see that the window was wide open, a perfect escape route.

I slowly turned away from the window to face Roger, who was properly grinning, no tiredness in his face at all. I grinned back, and Roger turned back to the open window, still grinning out to the moon.

"Why not now?" he said, and I stood up from the little bed, all thoughts of sleep gone completely.

I nodded, and he motioned to me to come to the window. When I did, he jumped out, and hovered in front of the window, his back facing me. When I just stood there watching him, he looked impatiently over his shoulder at me, and I hurriedly jumped onto his back, and he slowly flew away in the summer night.

"Goodbye Percy, hello friends," I whispered to myself, as I sat down. Roger's back was just the right side for me to sit comfortably, and I fell asleep still sitting up as Roger started whistling.

Now we began the search for my friends.

**WHEW! I've been typing like mad all effing day just to get this finished, because I had to type, then pack for a bit, then type some more, then pack a bit more then... you get the picture.**** :) Anyway, thanks for your reviews, they are greatly appreciated, and have a great holiday while I'm in Devon getting rained on and falling in mud for a week :P No more chappies until then, sorry! :(**


	18. You Thought I'd Forgotten

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 18**

**AN: WOOOOOOOO!!! DEVON WAS A BLAST!!! And this may be annoying, but I am going to an adventure holiday camp place in the Lake District on Friday or Saturday, so I ****can only write for a few days before more no-story-ness. :(  
Hope you enjoy, and thanks to Sgt. Red, Resilient Rose, PokemonLuver5678, Espeon Master, xEmilia, seamy, Dracoess, and mrkrabbz44 for brilliant reviews!! Love you guys!! **xxx

I yawned and blinked blearily, lifting my head to look around. I noticed that I was lying on moss, or leaves, and that I was underneath a large tree in the middle of a field with very long, yellow grass in it.

It seemed vaguely familiar, especially the lake to my left.

"Hey, Amber. Do you recognise this place?" I looked to my right and saw Roger emerging from the grass, carrying strange, fruit-like things in his paws.

"Kind of... I know that I've been here before, but I can't remember what it's called..." I said slowly, as I sat up and the Dragonite sat next to me, leaning against the tree.

"Come on, everyone's been to the Safari Zone," he said, and I grinned widely and closed my eyes as the memories came rushing back. Of Blitz pushing me into that lake, of getting chased by a herd of Rhyhorn, and eating a load of that Pokemon bait for a dare. Ah, memories...

Suddenly a thought struck me, and my eyes shot open.

"Wait, aren't Dratini and Dragonair supposed to live here? Is this...?" Roger nodded.

"M-hm. I lived in that lake until I was a Dragonair, and Percy Prat caught me unawares while chatting to Ray."

"Ray?"

"He was a Shinx when I last saw him, but he should be a Luxray by now. He was a giant for his age, so he'll probably be nearly as tall as me now. Chances are he's now the leader of the Luxio and Luxray pride here."

I nodded as I digested the information. He must be some big Luxray, if he was nearly as tall as Roger.

"Wanna meet my family?" I barked a 'yes' and bounced to the lakeside, followed by Roger.

"HEY, MUM! GUESS WHO?!" I jumped in shock at the happy shout that had emitted from Roger's mouth. I never knew he could yell that loud.

"FREDDY!" with a massive splash that completely drenched me, a short (I say short, but it was still around six feet tall. I guess it was small for its species) Dragonite leapt out of the water and onto Roger, who twirled her around joyfully.

"Mum!"

"Fred!"

Roger put his mum down and looked down at her sternly.

"I'm Roger now. I got renamed by the prat that captured me, and I'm more used to being called Roger than Fred."

Roger's mum nodded and looked at me.

"And who's this girl?"

"Oh, she's Amber. I helped her escape from the prat when she was unfairly traded to him, and we're going to find her trainer and friends." His mums stern expression softened.

"Oh, poor girl. I'm Lillian, and you're welcome to stay with us for as long as you like. The only thing is that you'll have to stay on the shore unfortunately, we don't want you to get hurt in the water."

Roger and I grinned.

"No fear," I said, leaping into the air and hitting the water. Under the water, I saw that there was a group of Dratini and Dragonair swimming at one end, and when I turned the other way, I saw that a group of Carvanha were swimming with Sharpedo and Seadra.

I resurfaced and saw that Roger had turned away from the lake and was apparently talking to someone with a much deeper, smoother voice.

Lillian helped me up out of the water, and Roger turned around to face me, grinning as I shook myself and my fur went into hairball-mode. I patted it down quickly.

"Amber, I want you to meet Ray." the Dragonite moved to the side, and I saw a simply massive shiny Luxray. He grinned at me, and showed a set of giant white fangs.

I did not want to be on the wrong side of those.

"Hey, Roger says you're gonna be stayin' here for a while. Welcome to the west field," he said in his deep voice, looking down at me smilingly.

"Thanks! Hey, have you seen a nineteen-year-old boy with bright red hair anywhere here?" As I said this, Ray shook his head, ruffling his black mane.

"No, sorry. I'll give you a shout if I do, though." I smiled and turned back to Lillian, who was asking Roger about how I could withstand water.

"But how does it work?!"

"I don't know, mum!"

"How does it work, Amber?"

"This sounds stupid, but all the Fire type Legendary Pokemon gave me gifts, and the water resistance is Moltres'." The old Dragonite nodded slowly, but not doubtfully.

"Hm. Were you reborn, by any chance?" I nodded, and Lillian clapped her paws together in happiness.

"I've met other reborns before!"

"Really? Who?"

"Well, there was Andy who was strangled by an Ekans, and reborn as a Dratini right here, then there was Georgia, who took a bullet for her best friend and was reborn as a Ralts... er... I think there was one more..."

I was surprised at all the reborns that this old Dragonite had apparently known, and it showed in my face by the way that Roger was sniggering at me.

"Oh, and there's Reg."

I froze.

"What did you say?"

"Reg. Reggie. The Squirtle. You may have seen him around Fuchsia; he likes to travel around the city. What's up, dear? You look a bit pale,"


	19. War and Competition

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 19**

**AN: I'VE FINALLY BOTHERED TO START WRITING!! Be grateful |; )**

"But what's so bad about Reggie?"

The old Dragonite still didn't get it, after about twelve explanations from both me and Roger. I swallowed and tried again.

"Reggie Turnstone used to bully me at school. Not like occasionally punching me or anything, he really bullied me. Then we left for college, and never saw each other again."

I paused, and Lillian looked like she'd understood so far.

"Then, when I'd died, I found out that Reggie had died as well, and that Mewtwo was planning to control the world with him and an army of Water Pokemon. Mew told me this, and that I was chosen to stop him along with her, and as many Fire Pokemon as I could get to come along." Lillian gasped and put her paws to her face, and Roger sighed in relief. Finally his mum got the situation.

Then her face set determinedly.

"We'll help. I'll get as many of the Safari Pokemon to join us, but chances are that Reggie's already recruited the Water Pokemon here. Tell me, are the Legendaries taking sides?" I nodded.

"We have all the Fire Type Legendaries, and Groudon. I think that Articuno's on our side too, because he froze Mewtwo solid for a while so that they could talk to me."

"And the Water Type Legendaries are on Reggie's side?" I nodded again, and the Dragonite turned to face Roger.

"Fly to the south-western field and get as many Pokemon as you can to join us. Ray'll go to the north-western field, and I can go to the eastern field. I'll find Fern, and she can go to the north-eastern field, and Rain can go to the south-eastern field. Is that okay?"

Roger and Ray nodded, and set off in their respective directions. I asked who Fern and Rain where, and she turned to face me with a smile.

"Fern is a Meganium, and Rain is a Rapidash."

"Why is a Rapidash called Rain?"

"You'll see," Lillian smiled before called the two names into the darkening sky. We'd spent the entire effing day trying to make Roger's mum understand about an underground Pokemon war.

"Coming!" I heard a voice yell, and I saw a pair of yellow antenna zigzagging through the grass towards us.

"Fern! There you are!" Lillian said happily, as the Meganium clumsily clopped out of the grass and shook herself.

"Foof, I haven't gotten used to being this big yet," she said, shaking her head vigorously.

"Anyway, what'd ya want, Lillie?"

"I'll tell you when Rain gets here." The Dragonite called the name over the field again, and suddenly it started raining.

"Whoa! Where'd this come from?!" I shrieked, and Fern and Lillian just grinned.

"Rain," Fern said simply, and a Rapidash gracefully sailed out of the grass and landed near me.

He lifted his head and stared coolly out of liquid blue eyes to Lillian.

"You called?" he asked, the deep blue liquid somehow flowing from his back rippling in the wind.

"Yes. Well, to put a long story short, Reg is evil and is marshalling a Pokemon army to take over the world with Mewtwo, and Amber here wants to stop him. She's got help from Mew, so both sides are equal at the moment."

Crickets chirruped for a few moments as the two gaping Pokemon stared at me. Then Fern nervously laughed.

"Reg? The Wartortle? Never!" Lillian nodded, and I went pale under my fur.

"He evolved?" Rain looked down at me, and something shimmered in his dark blue eyes.

"Yes, he evolved this morning. I'm in for the war, and I'm also in for dinner if you like," he said, and I stepped backwards. Lillian cleared her throat and Fern giggled.

"Fern, are you up for it?" Fern saluted with one of her antenna and laughed.

"Well, go to the north-east field and bring any volunteers back here. Same goes for you, Rain, except you're going to the south-eastern field. Got it?" They both nodded, and Rain winked at me before galloping off with Fern.

Lillian chuckled.

"He's going to have some competition with Ray," she said to herself, and took off for the east field.

As I watched her go, I thought about what she said before she left.

"Oh, no," I murmured as she disappeared into another field.

"I have two admirers,"


	20. Legendaries and Miltank

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 20**

**AN: Aren't you proud of me?! 20 CHAPTERS!!! Please review with any constructive criticism you would like to make about my story, and I'll try to improve on that. Thank you!!!**

_The monstrous red creature gave a great roar of pain as the equally gi__gantic blue creature leapt out of the underground lake and blasted it with water._

_Groudon roared again in rage this time, and summoned the stalactites above Kyogre's head to rain down on him from above._

_Kyogre deflected two with water guns, but the third went straight through one of his giant flippers and stuck there, greenish blood seeping from the amazing wound._

_Kyogre cried out and slipped back under the water, badly hurt and knowing that he wasn't to be taking part in the great war anymore._

_Groudon grinned, showing a gigantic set of dazzling sharp teeth, before twisting and falling onto his side with a catastrophic crash, which sent an earthquake to the humans above in Mossdeep City._

_And a million miles away in the Land of Legendaries, Arceus shook her noble head sadly._

"_Why must Mewtwo insist on power?" she asked herself quietly, watching Heatran trying to rouse Groudon unsuccessfully._

_Giratina__ flew up to Arceus and reported on Kyogre's status._

"_He's asleep again, and will remain that way for centuries. Hopefully," Arceus nodded once, and Giratina dipped his head before resting next to Arceus._

"_What's going to happen?" he murmured to no one, before closing his eyes sadly._

_~_~_~_~_~_

_Mew looked up at Heatran, who had just entered the cave that they were sheltering in._

"_How is he?" Mew asked Heatran concernedly, and Heatran smiled strainedly._

"_He's still in the war. He's nearly falling into sleep again, but he's managing to hold on. Suicune said Kyogre's out for the count, though," the faces of all the Pokemon in the cave became relieved, and many sighs echoed around the large cave._

_Groudon may have been dumb and clumsy, but he was one of the most powerful on the Fire Pokemon's side, and it would have a crushing blow if he was out before the war had even started._

"_This really is a war, isn't it?" Jirachi, whose eyes were more teary than they had ever been before, looked up at Mew for comfort. She got none._

"_Yes." Mew said expressionlessly, and Jirachi started crying. Celebi hugged her reassuringly._

"_We'll get through. Arceus won't let Mewtwo do this. And anyway, we have Amber!" Ho-oh looked up in alarm._

"_Is she gathering Pokemon for an army?" Raikou and Zapdos nodded to the rainbow bird and he sighed in relief._

"_She must sense the unease of Arceus and must know what's going on," Articuno said, and Dialga shuddered._

"_The strange thing is that neither I nor Celebi can predict who will win the war. It seems like something is preventing us from using our time-associated powers." he said uneasily, and Celebi nodded grimly._

"_Dialga's right. I shouldn't be here by rights; this isn't exactly a peaceful time, is it? But something is stopping me from travelling forwards or backwards in time, and whether it is only my conscience or something more dark I cannot tell," Jirachi had stopped crying and now looked hopeful._

"_Do you think that if I went to a human, told him of our predicament and let him wish for it to resolve, do you think that that would work?" Several Pokemon looked up hopefully, but Mew and Lugia shook their heads sadly._

"_You'd be hard pressed to find a human who would do that, Jirachi. From my experience with humans, only few are pure hearted enough to do something like that," Lugia said, remembering being captured in great purple bars and being drained of energy._

"_I don't think that it would work anyway, Jirachi. If something is holding back Dialga's and Celebi's time powers, I think that your wishing powers will be stopped as well," Mew said not unkindly._

_Jirachi didn't cry again, she just lowered her head dejectedly and sniffed._

_After a little while of silence, the Pokemon heard a light padding of paws from the entrance to their cave._

"_Who is it?"_

"_It must be another Legendary. No ordinary Pokemon can get here,"_

_While the Pokemon were mumbling, Entei and Raikou peered at the silhouette in the cave mouth._

"_Suicune! Where were you?" the wolf-like Water Legendary gracefully ran into the cavern, purple cape flowing like water._

"_Hey, why aren't you with the other Water Legendaries conspiring against us?" Suicune raised her eyebrows and stared coldly at Zapdos, who sat back down bashfully._

"_I thought you all knew that I was a traitor to them," she said, sitting next to Entei and staring up at Mew._

"_Kyogre is asleep. I saw Groudon eating Cheri berries near Mount Blaze, so he's going to be alright," the Legendaries sighed in relief again, "and it seems that Reggie has a very big army. He and his army are heading for the forest to the west of the Safari Park, where Mewtwo is going to teleport them to Spear Pillar for the battle."_

_There was silence at these words, and then Raikou spoke bravely._

"_So Amber's gotta get going, too," Mew nodded to the thunder tiger._

"_I'll tell her in a dream tonight, along with Moltres."_

~_~_~_~_~_~

I looked at all the Pokemon that Roger and the others had managed to collect.

There was the whole Luxio and Luxray pride, complete with Ray. There were about twenty or so Miltank, all grinning happily while eating grass. There was a lot of Ponyta and Rapidash, courtesy of Rain (who had flirted with me again and got headbutted into a tree by Ray). There were Chikorita, Bayleef and Meganium, thanks to Fern. Roger had persuaded lots of Rhyhorn and Rhydon to come, along with one extremely gigantic Mamoswine. Lillian had got loads of Grass Pokemon, including lots of Jumpluff, a Sceptile, three Bulbasaur and a group of seven Torterra.

Lots of other Pokemon had come along just to see what was going on, like several Pidgeot, Staraptor, a Chansey, Electabuzz, Mankey, Primeape, Pikachu and even a few Blaziken.

When everyone was quiet and sitting in a circle around me, Lillian, Roger, Fern, Ray and Rain, Roger prodded me and I yawned and stood up. I never liked staying up late.

"Do you all know why you're here?" I yelled to the crowd, and various answers were yelled, squawked and roared back.

"I'll tell you all anyway, for the ones that don't know. Mewtwo--" there were terrible gasps and I had trouble keeping my laughter in.

Once everyone had quietened, I continued.

"Mewtwo is planning to take over the world, along with a certain Wartortle named Reggie. Reggie is assembling an army of Water Pokemon, but there will be other types along with him. Mew made me come back to life from when I died as a human--"

I growled as the chatter started again.

"Shut up!" Both Ray and Rain shouted, sensing my annoyance, and then death glared each other.

"Thanks," I said quietly; their combined shouts had done the trick.

"Mew made me come back to life, knowing that Mewtwo was doing something, and recently she told me that Mewtwo and Reggie were making an army, and that I was to do the same thing. So, that's what you're here for. We, me and several of the Legendary Pokemon, need you to join us. Otherwise, the world will be controlled by Mewtwo, who will probably turn us all into robots or something evil."

After my speech, there was silence. Then a Clefable and a Wigglytuff stepped forward, steely glints in their eyes.

"We'll do it." they said, and the Pokemon around them gasped, while others spluttered with laughter at the thought of the two pink Pokemon fighting.

"We can launch deadly mega kicks and mega punches. We're better than Hitmontop when it comes to fighting," they both said, and I smiled happily.

"Anyone else?"

I noticed that the biggest Miltank had turned around and was talking to the rest of her herd, but then she turned to face me and grinned.

"We're all in!" she shouted, and they all cheered.

"We can heal the wounded instantly, so they can get straight back out onto the battlefield!" the Miltank leader said, and I gave the best thumbs up that I could with my paw.

"I'll help the Miltank!" the Chansey called out, and skipped over to join them.

"I'll help in the fighting! Let them try my tusks!" the Mamoswine roared, and I realised with a jolt that it was Tobalt.

He then recognised me and grinned sheepishly.

"No hard feelings, eh?" I grinned widely, and Tobalt relaxed before coming to the front to join the Clefable, Wigglytuff, Chansey and Miltank.

"I'll do it!"

"Me, too!"

Roused by their fellow Pokemon's willingness to join us, the rest of the Pokemon slowly volunteered.

Soon there was just a single Flaaffy sitting in the middle of the field, and we all yelled for it to join us.

"B-but I don't want to fight," it said nervously, and one Miltank called across to it.

"Come and help us heal the hurt, then! You can charge up the electric types when they run out of power!" the Flaaffy's face brightened up and I cheered along with the others; everyone was in the army.

"Right, well I don't know when the battle is, so everyone just stay in this field until we know. That way we can contact you easily and quickly." I said, and everyone dispersed and found places to sleep in the field.

As Ray and Rain argued over who could sleep nearest me, I went over to Tobalt and asked him something.

"By the way, how did you get here?" he grinned down at me happily.

"Percy came to the Safari Zone and broke the rules. He was trying to catch a Rhydon in the south-western field, and called me out to weaken it, but I kicked him over the fence and walked off with the Rhydon."

I was nearly crying laughing at the thought of Percy sailing over the fence and landing splat in some mud on the other side.

"Thanks, Tobalt. I'm glad you're on our side," I said, before trotting back to my sleeping area and finding that neither Rain nor Ray had won their quarrel, because a Snorlax was asleep in the place that they were fighting over.

I laughed quietly again, before closing my eyes and drifting away into sleep.


	21. Jelly and Life: Why Must it Mess You Up?

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 21**

**AN: Okay, I really can't do any more chapters until after I've been to the Lake District now. And even then I think we're going back down to Devon again... so this could be the last one for a while :(**

I blinked blearily and saw a familiar catlike Pokemon, Mew.

"Another dream, eh?" I asked, as I stood up on the wobbly surface. I looked down at my paw and recoiled in disgust.

"So instead of custard, you decided to do jelly this time." I said sarcasically, wiping the pink stuff off on a conveniently placed rock before sitting on it and looking at Mew and Moltres who I noticed was just behind her.

"Amber, I trust you have an army ready for battle?" Mew asked me gravely, and I nodded slowly.

"Good. Because in a fortnight's time, you will need to go to the forest on the outside of the west field of the Safari Zone where Mew will teleport you to the battle ground. In that fortnight, you should look for your friends," Moltres said, landing on the jelly and wrinkling her... beak? in disgust.

"Mew, what is your obsession with places made of sticky confectionery?" Mew shrugged before getting a spoon from midair and attacking a jelly tree next to her.

"I'm addicted to sugar. What can I say?" Moltres rolled her eyes and looked back at me.

"Anyway, Kyogre is out of the battle. She attacked Groudon, and Groudon retaliated by sending her back into her centuries-long sleep. Also, we have all three Legendary beasts on our side, as well as Lugia, Dialga, Jirachi, Celebi, Zapdos, Articuno and the other Fire Legendaries. Oh, and Groudon's still in. He's weakened, but he's eating Cheri berries to build his strength up and should be ready for battle by next week."

I nodded gleefully, glad that one of Reggie's team was already out.

Then a thought struck me.

"Mew... we won't have to... kill the other Pokemon will we?"

Mew looked up from the ravaged jelly tree, eyes downcast and cheeks full.

"Yesh," she mumbled sadly.

Then suddenly I rose upwards out of... err... Jelly World and went into a cloud of white mist, before I gasped and blinked in the morning sun.

I sat up fast, staring around the field, and then I headbutted Roger, waking him up.

"Amber... what the...?" I shut him up and whispered to him what I'd heard in my dream.

By the end of it, his eyes were as wide as large Poffins.

"So, you want me to tell the army while you look for Danny and the others?" I nodded and scooted out of the field, just hoping and hoping that there weren't any trainers about.

As I got sucked into the Safari Pokeball, I just groaned with the irony of the situation.

Why was it that life just loved seeing you pissed off?


	22. Chessie and PokeTranslators

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 22**

**AN: Alright, this is DEFINITELY the last before I go away... heck, it's past 8 at night and I still haven't packed for tomorrow! :S**

I pounded frantically on the door of the Pokeball, but it wouldn't open. Suddenly I heard a click, and then an excited voice squeal, 'YES!' and I sighed again.

I had a fortnight to escape, and then I was screwed.

As I contemplated about what would happen if I missed the war, the door clicked open and I sauntered to the entrance.

The suction pulled me out, and I materialized in front of a young girl, an old man, a Pachirisu and a Seel. The girl was jumping up and down in glee, and the old man was looking at me with an impressed expression on his face.

"That's a good Growlithe. I wonder what moves it has," he said, pulling out a Pokedex as the Pachirisu sniffed me curiously and I looked around the room.

It was a spacious, white room, with scientific equipment at one end and a desk at the other. Obviously the old man must be a professor of Pokemon.

"_Mo__ves learnt so far: ember, extremespeed, tackle, agility, roar, scratch, overheat, mega kick, flamethrower, body slam, fire fang, thunder fang, ice fang, slash, strength."_ the Pokedex rambled on for ages in its cheery, computerised voice, and the Professors face got more astonished with every move said.

Without a word he checked on the Pokedex to see my level.

"_Level: 50." _the girl squealed and hugged me, and I bared my teeth at her menacingly.

"What's wrong?" she asked concernedly, putting her face close to mine and staring in my eyes with her green ones.

"Yeah, why're you threatening Chessie, you big bully!" the Seel waddled forwards angrily, and I snorted.

"I need to be at the Safari Zone in two weeks' time, so if you don't mind I'm leaving now," I said, trotting to the window and leaping out onto the grass below.

"Chessie, she's escaping! Return her to her Pokeball!" fortunately I'd thought of that, so when she leaned out of the window and stuck her Pokeball out, I grabbed the Pokeball in my teeth and chomped it into little tiny pieces.

"Come back!" she sobbed as I darted into the undergrowth behind their garden and crashed away.

I heard crashes behind me, and then a desperate voice shouting.

"I have a Poke-translator, you can tell us what's wrong and we'll help you!" I stopped dead and looked back, to see a fresh Pokeball sailing towards me.

"Nice try," I growled murderously, smacking the ball back to the girl where it hit her straight in the face.

As she held her face and moaned, the Professor looked at me with fear written all over him.

I growled and roared, and I mean _roared _properly in pure rage, and the Professor grabbed Chessie's hand and legged it back through the woods to his lab as I suddenly felt all tingly and closed my eyes with the cool feeling seeping through my body.

Then, as suddenly as it came, it vanished. I opened my eyes and looked around, and yelped when I noticed that I was MUCH higher off the ground than I was before.

I looked down and saw a paw that was three times the size of my old one, and I smiled evilly.

Amber the Growlithe was gone.

Amber the Arcanine had arrived.

**AN: ****I need to get going, so I'll see you later! :)**


	23. I can't think of a chapter name :D

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 23**

**AN: I don't know if I'll finish this before I have to go, but just in case I somehow do :)**

**You know, you should be thankful. I skipped breakfast so that I could at least start this chapter. ;)**

I roared again and heard a shout near the lab, 'Hurry up, Chessie!', and I flew through the undergrowth towards them, snapping logs like matchsticks when I ploughed through them.

Soon I burst out of the thick foliage, and caught sight of both humans clambering through the window. I grinned evilly and howled before I leapt straight through the window, scattering glass everywhere.

Chessie was crying, and both of her Pokemon were standing in front of her protectively. However, the Professor was holding a rather familiar collar-like object in his hands...

"Here, I wasn't trying to trick you. But Chessie is only seven, so she just thought that I was." he said, and I gaped, slowly calming down. He slowly walked up to me and stroked my mane, before clipping the translator onto my neck.

"Now, tell us what's wrong and we'll help you in any way we can," he said kindly, helping Chessie up and looking at me expectantly.

"This will sound crazy, but it's all true," I said, and Chessie gasped excitedly.

"The translator works!" she said, and the Professor hushed her.

"Right, well I need to be at the Safari Zone in less than two weeks' time. Because, well, there's a war going on." the Professor and the two Pokemon stared.

"The thing is, I'm not a Pokemon. Well, I am, but I was a human before I ever became a Growlithe," the Professor narrowed his eyes and Chessie fainted.

"How could that happen?" he asked cautiously, and I shrugged.

"Don't ask me. Mew and Mewtwo came when I died, and said that I had a purpose to fulfil as a Pokemon. That purpose is the war, in which I and Mew are fighting a Wartortle and Mewtwo." the Professor's eyes widened, and he asked me something.

"Is that Wartortle called Reggie?" I gasped and he took that as a yes.

"Because a Squirtle by that name came here and told me the same story, except as you being the enemy. Now, he said that you each had your own armies, and that it was basically Fire vs. Water, but you could each get Pokemon of other types as well. That correct?" I nodded and continued.

"Mew is going to teleport us to the battleground in the forest just outside the west field in two weeks, so I need to get back there,"

The Professor nodded, thinking to himself.

"There's only been one other case of Pokemon warfare before, and that was between the Legendaries at the very beginning of time," he muttered, and Chessie hugged me around my neck. Her arms could only just circle my neck now, whereas when I was a Growlithe.

"What's your name?" she asked me, and I smiled.

"When I was a human I was called Anastasia, but now it's Amber." I licked her nose and she giggled.

"By the way, how did you die?" the Professor asked me from where he was typing something onto his computer, and I answered him.

"Seviper bite, I said, tilting my neck and ruffling my fur to reveal the two little bite marks.

"Ew!" the Pachirisu squealed, and the Seel slapped it in annoyance.

Meanwhile, the Professor had turned pale and walked up to me, peering closely at the marks.

"Hopefully your evolution should have cancelled it out, but..." he muttered, putting on a pair of thick spectacles to look closer at my skin.

"What?" I asked curiously as Chessie played with her Pokemon.

The Professor stood up straight, took off his glasses and looked me in the eye.

"When you were reborn, the poison was still in your veins. That means that you would eventually die painfully and slowly, but evolution sometimes heals these things. If it hasn't though, you've got a year to live,"

I froze.

"I'm sorry, but since you were born as a Growlithe, you had poison flowing with your blood. Since you were born, you only had a year to live."

"...I think I just pissed myself."

"Don't worry about it. All Pokemon do that."


	24. Blending In and Grief

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 24**

**AN: I LOVE THE LAKE DISTRICT!!!!!!!! But, one downside. I am going back down to Devon again... TOMORROW MORNING. O.O So, this will be the last chapter until Sunday morning, when I will be able to write again!!! Whoot!  
Also, thanks to all the new reviews I have got! I would list all your names, but I want to get on with the story :)**

I lay on my back in the garden, staring at the stars and contemplating the length of my life from now.

There had been that first month around the time of my funeral, then that month spent bringing up Lucky...

I had about nine and a half months to live.

Actually, speaking of Lucky, I wondered how he was doing without me. Probably Brad was looking after him now, or Blitz. I couldn't see Inferno taking charge of a hyper-active Vulpix.

And where were they? They would probably have left Fuchsia by now, to challenge more Gyms. Maybe Saffron City? Danny always wanted to explore the Silph Co. Building, and there's the Dojo there too.

I sighed and rolled onto my side, closing my eyes and sinking into sleep.

Tomorrow morning I was going to try to find my friends, and then take them to the Safari Zone for the war.

~_~_~_~_~_~

"Where are they?!"

I had been wandering around Fuchsia for hours, my eyes were watering from all the pink, my paws were aching from meandering around, and I had discovered just how hard it is to blend in with the crowd when you're a six-foot tall Arcanine with unusually large fangs.

I plonked myself in the middle of a flowerbed and sighed, looking up to the sky in exasperation.

Suddenly my ears pricked up as I heard a low cry that seemed very familiar coming from an alley nearby, and I leapt up and bounded to the entrance where I peered in.

"Just tell us where the Magmar is and we'll let you live. Just." The biggest Absol growled, and I heard a sniffly voice utter a 'no'.

The two Absol growled in frustration.

"Then we'll just have to kill you!" as they were about to strike the Pokemon, I roared, leapt over their heads and landed in front of a small bundle of fur.

I crouched into a defensive position and glared at the Absol, who took one look at me and pegged it out of the alley, chased by an ember attack from me.

I heard a whimper and looked down at the bundle of fur, who gazed up at me with wide amber eyes.

They became wider.

"Mum?" my mouth opened in astonishment and I cried out in delight.

"Lucky!" I was about to hug him, but a figure suddenly leapt over his head and slashed at my face, cutting my nose deeply and making me howl in agony.

"Get away from Lucky," the Charmeleon growled, and I forgot about my nose in delight.

"Brad!" I shrieked, and totally surprised the lizard Pokemon with a giant hug.

"What the--?! Who are you?!" he yelled, and another figure stepped out of the shadows.

"If my guessing ability is still working correctly, her name is Amber." immediately, Brad stopped struggling and just stood there.

Then the fur on my neck felt wet, and I realized that he was crying.

"Hey, what is it?" I asked, releasing him and letting him sit on the dirty pavement, where I noticed that he had an epic scar running all down the left side of his face and over his eye. He blinked a tear out of his eye, and I noticed that the scar went across his eyelid as well.

"A-Amber... Danny and Blitz... aren't..." he then lost it completely and hugged my leg tight, sobbing uncontrollably.

Inferno stepped forward, and I noticed that he wasn't in good shape as well, as one of his claws on his right paw was missing, and a chunk of flesh had been taken out of his tail. Lucky then scrambled up me, and lay on my head like he always used to.

"Amber, Blitz and Danny are dead."

Brad gave a fresh sob, Lucky snuffled and buried his head in my mane, and another tear fell down my face, dropping in front of my paw.

"No. Blitz isn't dead. They can't be dead!" I suddenly threw back my head and howled magnificently in grief, making the Starly and Pidgey above us fly away in anger and fright.

"THEY AREN'T DEAD!" I howled again, and fell onto my front, making an almighty crash and cracks appear in the pavement below.

"Amber. They are." Inferno placed a calming paw on my heaving shoulder, and I gulped and swallowed the rest of my tears.

"It's s-sad, but they are and you can't do anything about it," Bradley said, walking to my head and hugging me around my neck tight. I choked and Inferno tapped Brad's shoulder, making him release my windpipe a bit.

"It'll be all right. We're still here," Brad said quietly, and I laid my head on the wet pavement with a little smile.

"It'll be all right,"


	25. Catching Up and Feelings

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 25**

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to SarahNicole98, who was my first friend on Fanfiction. :D Hope you enjoy! And I hope that everyone enjoys the whole story! :)**

_The boy and the Houndoom walked slowly through the white mist, wondering where they were._

"_Where are we?" the boy asked, and the Houndoom shrugged as best she could._

"_I don't know," she said non-committaly, and the boy choked._

"_You can talk?!" The Houndoom rolled her eyes._

"_Never," she said, but before the boy could splutter a reply a small cough interrupted them._

"_I've been waiting for you," the Pokemon said, stepping out of the mist ahead of the duo and looking at them through a sharp green eye._

"_Hhh!" The Houndoom gasped and lowered her head at the Judgement Pokemon standing ahead of them in the swirling mist._

"_You really exist?" The boy asked in awe, and Arceus nodded slowly._

"_If you have read some folklaw about me, then you'll know what a certain power of mine is," she said, and the Houndoom raised her head in delight._

"_You're really going to do it?" she asked in amazement, and Arceus nodded again, a bit quicker._

"_Yes, Blitz. With a little help from Giratina, that is," Arceus walked gracefully to one side, and looked expectantly into the mist. A few minutes later, however, she made a little noise of impatience._

"_Where is he?" she asked no one, but then she spied a small blackish-purple spot that had appeared in the mist, and that was steadily widening until it could easily swallow two double-decker buses tied on top of each other._

"_I'm here, Arceus. You get too impatient," a deep rumbling voice said, as a pair of beady yellow eyes and a yellow helmet appeared through the portal, with the rest of the snakelike Renegade Pokemon appearing fast. The black and red tendrils along his great back quivered as his tail slipped through the portal, and he closed it with a rumbling growl._

_Arceus tutted._

"_Let's just get started, shall we?" she said, stretching a hoof and drawing a green circle through the mist around the two astonished companions._

_Giratina smiled at his fellow Legendary Pokemon's lack of patience._

"_Of course."_

_~_~_~_~_~_~_

I sniffed from where I was lying in the alley, Brad lying on one side of me, and Lucky asleep on my other side. Inferno was sitting up against a wall to the right of us.

"How did they die?" I asked quietly, and Inferno looked up at me.

"Team Galactic tried to steal us. We were near a lake, and when Danny resisted they threw him into the lake, where a Gyarados tried to eat him.

Me and Brad killed both Galactic agents while Blitz leapt into the water and attempted to rescue Danny from the Gyarados. She didn't get there in time, and Danny was bitten in the stomach and was dead before she got there."

I swallowed.

"And Blitz?"

"She was a Fire Type. You know what happens if we stay in water too long." Inferno answered and I shivered. Right then I felt glad that I didn't share that weakness with my friends.

Suddenly I heard a small snore from my left. I looked round and saw that Bradley had fallen asleep.

I looked back to Inferno, who was grinning.

"You know, he really missed you," Inferno said quietly, pointing to the Charmeleon. I smiled inwardly, though I didn't show it on my face.

"What about Lucky?" I asked, wondering how the Vulpix had been getting on.

"He's been fine. Brad's been guarding Lucky with his life, as you saw earlier." I grinned and looked down my muzzle to my nose, where I could just see the ends of a few scars on my nose.

"How about you?" Inferno shrugged dismissively of my question.

"Not too bad, really. I got my claw missing when I first met those two Absol that you chased away, and this part of my tail was ripped out by a rampaging Zangoose." he said calmly.

To me, that sounded not too good.

"Oh... so that's why they were asking Lucky where you were," I said, and the Magmar nodded.

"I accidentally trespassed on their territory a few miles away while searching for berries, and they attacked me. Then Brad showed up, wondering where I was, and we both creamed them,"

I lay back on the pavement, smiling up to the stars.

"I'm glad you've been okay," I said to Inferno, placing a warm paw on Lucky who had just started to shiver from the autumn wind.

It was good to be back.

**Brad's POV**

I lay on my side, staring at the Arcanine next to me. I wondered how she'd coped without all of us, especially Danny with the food supply.

She couldn't have done any worse than me and Inferno, anyway. I shivered at the though of those gigantic claws raking down my face, permanently scarring me.

I heard her talking to Inferno, about Blitz and Dannys' deaths. I then heard Inferno reply, and I wanted to join the conversation. But I just felt too tired; seeing Amber alive had taken a lot out of my emotionally.

I sighed, rolling onto my other side and facing away from Amber, and closed my eyes.

I wonder if she'll ever love me, I thought, before I slipped away into sleep.


	26. Fighting and Lucky

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 26**

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to mrkrabbz44 for giving me my first review on this story!!! And also to peacebearer74 for asking me to mention her name here so that she knows if her reviews are getting through! :) Well, peacebearer, they sure are!**

**Amber's POV**

I blinked in the early morning sun and yawned, raising my head and looking around the alley.

My eyes rested on Inferno, who had fallen asleep sitting up but with his head drooped down. He must have had it tough, trying to find food and shelter for the three when Danny and Blitz died.

Then I looked down at Lucky, the sleeping Vulpix who was now much bigger, and had snuggled up to my side while I was asleep.

He didn't look too hard done by, but seeing two of his best friends die must have been traumatic for him.

Then I looked at Bradley, curled up facing away from everyone, breathing deeply in his sleep.

I Bradley didn't look like he'd had it too good either, and I wondered how he'd got that huge scar. I sighed, and slowly stood up, stretching and yawning again hugely.

I looked down at Brad, then at Lucky, then at Inferno, and turned around to face the entrance of the alley.

I might as well keep watch in case an early-rising person came past and saw us.

**Brad's POV**

I blinked, but didn't move. The absence of warmth on my back told me that Amber must have got up, and I looked around to see where she was.

She just standing up a few metres in front of us, keeping watch.

I lowered my head to the pavement again and closed my eyes.

She must care about us to get up at some horrible hour to watch for danger.

**Amber's POV**

Some time later, my ears pricked up as I heard something in the distance, coming towards the alley from the side.

I lowered myself to the ground and slunk back into the alley, quickly but quietly dragging bins in front of my sleeping comrades before turning to face the entrance where a Pokemon was standing.

"Amber!" Rain cried, galloping towards me. I groaned.

**Brad's POV**

I blinked and looked up, surprised to see a wall of bins in front of me and no Amber.

This was weird, especially as the ground was shaking.

"Amber!" someone cried, and then the shaking got harder and I saw a cream-coloured tail just above the bins, waving slightly.

I growled, jumped onto the bins and then over the surprised Arcanine and in front of the shiny Rapidash, who skidded and stopped just in front of me.

"Who are you?" we both asked, and then stared at each other.

"Brad, this is Rain. Rain, Brad." Amber said, slightly hesitant as she saw that we were giving each other death glares.

"Amber, who is 'Brad'?" the Rapidash haughtily asked, making me growl in annoyance.

"Brad was the first Pokemon that I became friends with after I became a Pokemon," she said, and I looked at her in surprise. Actually, that must have been true, as she met Blitz before she became a Pokemon and I was the first new member of Danny's team.

Rain looked at me with envy for a second, before sticking his chest out importantly.

"Well _I've_ helped get lots more Pokemon for the army, and _I've_ been looking everywhere for Amber!" he said, emphasising himself greatly. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Amber shaking her head in exasperation, and I grinned to myself.

It's just Rain. Not Amber. _Rain._

Then I saw something run up behind the Rapidash and butt him out of the way.

"Amber! I've found you!" a small snort of laugher came from the Arcanine, and I figured that this Luxray was just like Rain.

"Brad, this is Ray. Ray, this is Brad." the Luxray regarded me for a minute before saying a 'hello' and asking how I know Amber.

I replied and he looked at me with jealousy, like Rain, before talking again with Amber.

Out of both of Amber's admirers, I think that Ray's the more friendly one.

"Hey! I got here first!" the Rapidash whinnied and pushed the Luxray away from Amber, who retreated back to the wall quietly to watch the fight, silently laughing.

"No you didn't!" Ray roared back, and soon they were snarling and biting and kicking and clawing each other in a full-out tussle, and I just stood there laughing.

A small red head popped out from between two bins and asked what was going on.

"Amber's got some admirers," I replied to Lucky, and he laughed.

"You've got some competition, then!" he sniggered, watching the Ray electrocute Rain, and listening to the horsey yowls coming from him.

I stared at the Vulpix. Since when had he grown up enough to become so perceptive?

"But-?"

"Oh, come on. It's obvious! All you did when Amber was asleep was stare at her!"

Grrr... I hate being caught out by a two-month-old Vulpix.

"Anyway, I think that Amber likes you too," Lucky said casually, squeezing out of the gap between the bins and sitting next to me. I froze.

"What?" I asked, too stunned to believe it.

Lucky sniggered again.

"I said, _I think Amber likes you too._" Slowly a huge grin started spreading over my face, but before it had got too big I stopped it. Lucky laughed at me before looking back at the fighting Pokemon.

As the Rapidash suddenly bit down on Ray's neck, making him make a stupid sort of "ACK!" noise, Amber suddenly burst out laughing at them.

Lucky laughed too, and I joined in.

Right then, I felt glad that I had lived with that weird Torchic and crazed Cyndaquil.


	27. Lucky Grows Up, a Loss and a Gain

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 27**

**AN: Peacebearer, I can assure you that I have read A Little Night Music. It is in my favourites, and I have followed it for ages. (Not my favourite stories, so I should add it, but my favourite websites bar :)**** Also, I am a member of the New Chu Order. So, if that doesn't convince you that I've read the darn story, I don't know what will. :)  
And as I've mentioned your name in this chapter already, I might as well dedicate it to you :D Aren't I nice?**

**Amber's POV**

Once Ray and Rain had stopped fighting (Inferno woke up and poured water all over them) we set off for the Safari Zone. I was excited to show Inferno, Brad and Lucky the army that we'd all gathered, and all three seemed enthusiastic about the war.

"It looks like you'll have to train up, Lucky!" Inferno said to the Vulpix, who grinned up at him cockily.

"I won't have to as much as you think! I nicked someone's Pokedex a while ago, and found out my own level!"

Brad looked impressed at Lucky's hacking skills, and even Rain seemed curious about it.

"So, what level did you turn out to be at?" he asked, interested.

"Level 43." Lucky said, and laughed when I promptly walked into a lamp-post.

"How did you get that high?" Brad asked, and Lucky shrugged.

"Must've just been all the playfights with you lot, I suppose. And beating Deirdre must have put me up a lot of levels!"

I rubbed my nose and smiled at Lucky.

"You've grown up a lot," I said, and the Vulpix grinned up at me, showing his white fangs.

"More than you think. I think I'll evolve soon," he said matter-of-factly, and I gave him a blank look.

"You'll have to find a Fire Stone for that, and there're very rare." I said doubtfully, and he looked puzzled.

"I thought you said that you evolved out of anger?"

"I think that's just one of the perks of being a reborn, Luckster," I said, forgetting that the Vulpix didn't know what I was talking about. Brad and Inferno, possessing hands, facepalmed.

"What?" Lucky suddenly looked scared.

I sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.

"What would you say if I told you that I was once a human, bitten by a Seviper and was reborn, thanks to Mew, as a Growlithe?"

"...I'd stuff you head first into that bin over there and then tie you up and put you on a railway track, but I can see where you're going with this."

"Exactly." Suddenly Ray ran up.

"Hey, where've you been?" I asked, not noticing the hostile glares that Ray was receiving from Brad.

"I've been telling Roger that you're okay, but we've got some bad news." he said, and Lucky looked up from where he'd been quietly hyperventilating.

"...what is it?" Inferno asked worriedly, and Ray sighed.

"Suicune got found out."

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

_The blue, wolf-like dog raced gracefully over the hills, towards Mew's camp. She was eager to tell them all about the latest news from the enemy, and sped up as she hurtled over a fallen log._

_She grinned. She loved being a Legendary._

_Suddenly a huge clear Pokemon rose up in front of her._

_She gasped. "Regice!"_

_The Legendary Golem spoke, but with him only possessing eyes, she couldn't tell his facial expression._

"_Mewtwo told me to follow you. Where are you going, when all of our army is holding a strategy meeting?"_

_Damn, thought Suicune. Why does he always look so dumb, and is yet so perceptive?_

"_I'd forgotten, I'm sorry. I felt like having a run, to stretch my legs."_

"_You're the Aurora Pokemon. You run everywhere. As if you needed a run, especially towards the enemy camp." he scoffed, as the two other Golems rose up behind him._

_Suicune backed away, readying her powerful bubblebeam to ward off Regirock and Registeel at least._

_Regice, seeing her mouth glow blue, chuckled and raised his arms._

"_You know that you're gonna freeze, so why run?"_

"_Because you're a clumsy jerk who can't move faster than a Bibarel," she mumbled, before unleashing her bubblebeam and streaking off, faster than ever before towards Mew's camp._

_In some ways, Suicune's slight was true, as Regice took a while in simply turning round to see Suicune dash off._

_He grinned to himself though; Suicune didn't know what was behind the next hill._

_A few minutes later, the exhausted Suicune was dropped about two storeys to the ground by Regigigas, who grunted and just resisted stomping on her._

_She groaned in pain when she landed heavily, as Regigigas had, once caught her, proceeded to wring her like a sponge and toss her about like a rag doll._

"_I told you that you can't run," said a familiar voice, and Suicune lifted her head weakly just in time to see a stream of ice shooting towards her before she was encased in a block of ice, unmoving, but in unbearable pain._

_Internally she screamed, as she faintly saw the four Pokemon leaving, before she blacked out, eyes still open from being frozen solid._

~_~_~_~_~_~

_Arceus looked up at Giratina, after she'd finished filling in Danny an__d Blitz about what was going on._

"_Amber... is Anna?" the boy received a kick from Blitz, and Giratina grinned._

"_She knows as well as I do that your Arcanine always had hated being called Anna." he rumbled, and Arceus pushed him impatiently._

"_Oh, okay. Well then, when you get back, you must go to the Safari Zone immediately. Danny, you will now be able to speak to Pokemon. But don't embarrass yourself in public doing it," he said, the corners of his mouth twitching upwards as he spoke._

"_Now, just stomp three times and you'll drop through, and land in Fuchsia City," Arceus said, and the anxious to leave Danny looked happily at Arceus and Giratina in turn, stomped the ground three times and promptly disappeared through the ground._

_Blitz turned to the two Pokemon and grinned happily._

"_Thank you," she said sincerely. Arceus and Giratina both nodded, and Blitz smiled and stomped twice, before lifting her head._

"_By the way, are Amber and Brad ever going to get together?" she asked, and Giratina smiled smugly._

"_Wait and see," Arceus said with a wink and a smile, and Blitz grinned, before raising her paw and stomping for the third time, and falling through the ground._

_Immediately Giratina's smile switched off._

"_Poor Suicune," he said sadly, and Arceus nodded, her smile sliding off her face into a frown._

"_How long will this last?"_

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

**Amber's POV**

We stood in shocked silence for a few minutes, after Ray had finished telling his story. Now we'd lost a valuable asset to our side, and we wouldn't get information about the enemy anymore, either.

"I just hope that she survives," Rain said sadly, and we nodded. Then Lucky looked up, puzzled again.

"She's a Legendary! How can she die?" Inferno shrugged, and Brad suddenly looked behind us where a small crash had been heard. He squeaked.

"Inferno?" he whispered, and the Magmar turned around along with Brad, and promptly fainted.

"What's going on?" Rain asked. "It's only some boy and a Houndoom, big deal!"

Me and Lucky froze, and slowly turned around.

There, in the middle of the street, were Blitz and Danny.

"What's all the fuss about?!" Ray asked confusedly, and I kicked him in the stomach and raced towards them both.

Blitz' eyes lit up and she started towards me, but Danny looked scared at the thought of a six-foot dog galloping towards him.

"Blitz!" I yelled, and hugged her happily.

"Danny can understand us now," she said, and I looked up at Danny. His flame-licked hair was standing on end.

"Has Blitz told you who I am?" I asked, and he slowly grinned.

"Yep."


	28. Ninetales' Colouring

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 28**

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to EVERYONE who has read this story and liked it. :D Love you guys!**

**Amber's POV (again!)**

"So, basically my girlfriend died, got reincarnated, found out that she was going to lead a Pokemon war against an old school bully, and then evolved." Danny raised his head from his hands and looked everyone in the eyes.

"Why didn't you tell me?!"

"Because until now, you would've heard nonsense!" Lucky said to him, and Danny stared.

"Yeah, I grew up a lot. It's amazing what independence does for ya!" Danny shook his head to clear it and looked at me.

"You know, you came close to guessing who I am pretty much as soon as you found me. You said that I had the same colour eyes and the same expression as me."

Inferno rolled his eyes and Brad gave me a half-exasperated, half-amused look.

"What?"

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"Uugh... how far is it?"

"AAH!" I jumped when I heard a voice in my ear, and looked up to see Lucky and Brad taking advantage of my height.

"Oi!" I said, tipping them off onto Blitz's back.

Blitz sniggered and Danny hopped onto my back.

"That means you too, sunshine." Danny patted my head but didn't get off.

I growled, and Brad hopped back onto me.

"Hey!" Brad grinned and sat on my head, and was soon joined by Lucky.

I sighed. Had I become an Arcanine minibus?

Rain kicked Ray, who was walking next to me. Ray kicked him back, and soon they were fighting again.

I looked at Inferno and Blitz, who nodded and separated the snarling Pokemon.

"Break it up, lover-boys." Blitz sniggered, pulling Ray back with her teeth, while Inferno grabbed the Rapidash and flung him in front.

Danny looked puzzled, and Blitz told him about my two admirers.

For a few minutes Danny was silent, before he burst out laughing.

"S-so do you like ei-either of them?" he asked, slowing his laughter down. I realised that Bradley had tensed up on my head, and I grinned to myself.

"No... I'm not interested in either of them..." I said, and I heard a faint sigh of relief and then a snigger from my head.

Ray and Rain suddenly stopped walking, and they both cried out.

"The Safari Zone!" Lucky, Brad and Danny jumped off my back happily and ran to the entrance.

As we crossed the smooth, deep red pavement, Danny paused and looked at the sparkling ground.

"Lucky, stop!" he cried, but just too late. Lucky stepped on the stone and looked back, puzzled, and for a moment nothing happened.

Danny was halfway through sighing before he caught his breath and choked as the Vulpix was enveloped in a cooling, bright white light.

Before our eyes he changed, limbs becoming longer and lither and his six tails splitting into nine long tailing, fanning gracefully outwards.

Soon the light began to fade, and we all waited in anticipation to see the new Ninetales in all his glory.

But the light just kept on fading, and soon the pure black Ninetales opened his eyes and looked in delight at us.

"What?" he asked, seeing our shocked expressions and looking down at himself. His new, deep green eyes widened in amazement.

"HOLY SH--!"

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"_Why, Giratina? You know we aren't supposed to toy with evolution!" Arceus cried, banging her hoof down in front of the Renegade Pokemon. He stared calmly into her eyes._

"_Arceus, I did it because I know that it will help him in the end."_

"_But black, Giratina! A black Ninetales!" Giratina nodded, and when Arceus started to cry in frustration and stress, he draped a wing over he heaving shoulders._

"_You'll see, it'll come right in the end." he said soothingly, and slowly Arceus calmed down._


	29. We're Back and We're Bad!

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 29**

**AN: This chapter**** is dedicated to PokemonLuver5678 because I felt like dedicating it to her/him. :)**

**Amber's POV**

"L-Lucky?" I said, stepping forwards to take a closer look at the shaking Ninetales.

"Are you okay?" I asked, then jumped backwards as he howled.

"Of course I'm not okay!" he yelled, Starly erupting from the trees behind and glaring at Lucky as they flew away.

"What is it?" I said, just to clarify, and he fixed me with a cold stare, tears spilling down his face.

"I-I'm not a N-Ninetales!" he cried, sobbing again. Me, Lucky and Blitz walked forward and hugged the distraught Ninetales, and Blitz looked him in the eyes.

"Lucky. You are a Ninetales. You were a Vulpix, so you are a Ninetales."

"B-but how did I evolve...?"

I brushed the ground with my paw, and looked at Lucky.

"This walkway is made of Fire Stone. You stepped on it, and you evolved!" I said simply, and he stared at me in hope before looking at his paws and letting a fresh tear spill over them.

Brad gave him a hug.

"You're just a shiny. You're no different than any other Ninetales out there."

Finally, Lucky looked up and smiled.

"Thank you," he said, before returning our hugs.

"Now, I think that Roger will be glad to see us." Rain said, staring at us, and we all looked up at him happily, our faces changing to delight as we saw the tall, orange figure standing behind the Rapidash.

"Hey, glad you made it!"

Rain jumped about five feet into the air in shock and landed next to Danny, who gawped at the friendly Dragonite.

"Roger!"

"Roger?"

Lucky looked puzzled as me, Brad, Inferno and Blitz rushed to hug Roger, who laughed at Lucky.

"You don't remember me! I was the one that broke Amber's ribs!" I didn't feel that this was the correct way to get someone to remember you, but Lucky seemed to remember that as a good thing.

"OH!" He cried, running to hug Roger as well.

"Wait... you're Percy's old Dragonite, aren't you?" Roger laughed at Danny.

"Not quite so old yet. Old enough to know that you can understand us, though."

Dannys mouth fell another inch, and we all laughed at him.

"Anyway, nice new fur Lucky! It'll be handy to creep around at night," Lucky looked puzzled at Roger.

"What--?"

"Never mind. Life skills."

~_~_~_~_~_~

_Mew put her head in her paws and looked wearily up at the block of ice in the center of the cave, containing Suicune. Entei and Ho-Oh had been using all of their energy to melt the ice, but their flames only fizzled away when they touched the ice._

"_Mew, please help us," Entei said weakly, tripping over his own paws as he tried to maintain the flames flowing from his mouth._

_Groudon looked glumly down at them, wishing that he could breathe fire as well. Technically, he wasn't a Fire Pokemon, and was actually a Ground type._

"_Mew, you have to help them. They need rest." Groudon said quietly, and Mew floated over to the two trembling Pokemon._

"_Take a rest." she said, stretching her paws out and gently using hypnosis on Entei and Ho-Oh. They sighed and slumped to the ground, and Groudon placed them near the walls of the cave._

"_Moltres, it's our turn." Moltres nodded to Mew, and placed her wings around the ice. Immediately a little water spilled off the top._

"_Let's go," Mew muttered, before using overheat and erupting in flames._

_The cave was bathed in warmth and Celebi quickly started photosynthesising. In the heat, Ho-Oh and Entei woke up and looked around blearily, before leaping up to try and free Suicune from her cold prison._

_Much later, Mew floated to the ground and became her normal colour, panting._

_She'd been using overheat for hours, and Moltres soon joined her on the floor, her wings barely flickering._

_Suicune was freed._

~_~_~_~_~_~

**Amber's POV**

"Tobalt?!" My friends was astonished when we entered the field containing our army, which to my surprise had nearly doubled in size since when I last saw it.

Brad had exclaimed when he saw the familiar Mamoswine lumbering towards us, and Inferno looked pleased.

"Guys! I hoped Amber would find you!" Tobalt trumpeted, lurching to a stop and staring at Lucky.

"Lucky?" Lucky nodded and smiled, and Tobalt blinked before grinning around at us all again.

"Anyway, come to the middle of the field. Mew's got some news to tell." he said, and Blitz and Danny gasped.

"Mew's here?" Danny asked, and Tobalt nodded.

"Mew comes a lot to tell us stuff." Tobalt answered, before swinging his trunk and lumbering towards the middle of our field.

"Come on!" I said, and we all followed the Mamoswine.

'Hello again, Mew!' I thought to myself, entering the long grass.

'Missed me?'


	30. A Little Surprise

**WE'VE HIT 30!!!!!**

**AN: This is going to be very obvious, but I'm trying something new in this chapter. See what you think! :P**

"You made it!" Mew cried, flying over and hugging me once we were out of the long grass.

"Danny! Brad! Blitz! Inferno! Lucky!" Mew greeted everyone enthusiastically and

happily, and they all returned her hugs, Danny looking like he'd just won the lottery.

"Anyway, everyone, the time has come!" I immediately looked up, startled.

"Wait... I thought that there was still about a week 'till the war..." Lucky voiced my opinions, and Mew nodded.

"Mewtwo and Reggie's army are already there, so we'll have to get there quickly. Instead of teleporting in the forest later, we'll teleport right here and right now."

And before I could open my mouth to say anything, everything went white.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

The stray Persian looked up as he passed the television shop. There was a crowd of people outside it, and he pushed through them until he could see the tellies.

"And, in our headline tonight, it appears that Pokemon are migrating for winter. Except, they're migrating the wrong way. The Pokemon are heading for North for Mount Coronet in the Sinnoh region, and even Pokemon from right here in Kanto are going there.

Whole herds of dairy Miltank and the wild Tauros of the Safari Zone are even sacrificing their supply of grass to join with other Pokemon in Sinnoh."

As the newscaster rambled on more, the Persian turned away and frowned.

Then he looked to the Vermilion City sky and smiled.

Whatever was going on there, he'd be a part of it.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

People looked on in amazement as, in Goldenrod City, thousands of Spinarak and Ariados scuttled towards the north-east.

Soon after them, Seviper and Arbok slithered with Ekans behind them, heading in the same direction.

A small girl playing with her Igglybuff looked up and froze when she saw the huge Arbok slide past her.

She saw it look at her Igglybuff, who seemed to be wriggling in her arms, and she released her Pokemon in amazement when she could swear that the Arbok _winked _at it.

The Igglybuff dropped to the grass, where it ran to the Arbok and jumped on top of its hood.

"Iggle, iggly!"

"Char-bok!" the Pokemon seemed to be talking for a minute, then the Arbok started slithering away, and the little girl stood up and ran to it.

"Amy, please come back!" she cried, and her Igglybuff gave a small wave and a smile before the Arbok sped up, leaving the girl behind.

She dropped to her knees and sniffed, tears dripping onto the ground.

Millions of children were losing their friends for what they thought was forever.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

Groudon looked up from where he was standing, at the back of the Legendaries.

At the front of their side stood Entei and Moltres, who were glaring at the other army ready for war about twelve metres away.

At the front of the opposition stood Lugia and the lake trio, Uxie's eyes twitching under his eyelids.

Groudon shuffled his claws and looked down at his feet, hoping that Arceus would intervene.

Despite his menacing appearance, he hated to fight, and would only make exceptions for Kyogre.

Meanwhile Moltres fluttered her wings, grinning to herself. Dialga (who was standing next to Groudon) had told her that he could tell that her first gift would be realised in the war.

Unlike Groudon, Moltres loved a bit of a scrap, and a war was good enough for her.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~_~

On Cinnabar Island, the volcano stirred. The Pokemon in it knew that something was wrong, as they hadn't seen Moltres, their protector, in days.

The resident leader, a large Typhlosion, gathered the Pokemon of the volcano together to the cavern where the magma of the volcano was stored.

"Moltres has been gone, and look what's now happened." he pointed to the magma, and the watching Pokemon saw it bubbling and then occasionally spout upwards, coming close to the edge of the crater.

"If something isn't done soon, then this volcano will erupt and kill the entire Cinnabar Island. Not just the people either; the plants will die from lack of sunlight when the ash covers the sky." the Fire Pokemon looked shocked, until one small Numel piped up bravely.

"But if we go and help Moltres, then maybe the volcano won't erupt!" the Typhlosion nodded to the Numel and spoke again.

"Exactly. Moltres told me that she would be going to Mount Coronet; specifically Spear Pillar." Many of the older Pokemon gasped; their young looking confused.

"Spear Pillar is an ancient temple on the top of Mount Coronet that was destroyed when Dialga and Palkia fought." the Typhlosion supplied, and the small Pokemon nodded.

"I propose that we go to Spear Pillar, to find Moltres and tell her what's going on here. A few of the stronger Pokemon should stay here, to stabilise the volcano."

A Ninetales and two Torkoal nodded vigorously.

"We'll do it, too!" a few Magcargo and Slugma slithered out of the magma, looking as ferocious as blobs of lava can.

The Typhlosion nodded.

"Very well. Come, we'll go right now." and the Pokemon of Cinnabar volcano started their long journey to find their protector.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

The Ampharos nervously sparked in the Power Plant. She hadn't seen Zapdos for ages, not since the lightning bird had told her that he would be leaving for a while.

She nodded her head once, as if to herself, and then lit her tail.

Immediately, a lot of Pikachu, Raichu, Magnemite, Magneton, Luxio and Shinx zoomed out of various places and stuck to her tail, protesting loudly and indignantly.

"Sorry, but I'm getting worried about Zapdos," she apologised, switching the magnetism in her tail off and releasing the other Electric types.

"He's never been away this long before..." she trailed off hopefully, looking at the Pokemon around her.

A few Voltorb and an Electrode rolled round a corner and grinned.

"He told us that he was going to Spear Pillar," the Electrode said, and the Ampharos looked to the sky, thinking.

"Where's that...?" a small Pikachu rolled his eyes at her.

"It's on Mount Coronet!" the Ampharos opened her mouth, but the Pikachu interrupted.

"That's in the Sinnoh region." Ampharos nodded her head, before speaking again.

"We should go to Spear Pillar and find Zapdos!" she said, curling her little paws into fists determinedly, and the other Pokemon cheered before heading after her out of the Power Plant.

Although she was forgetful and clumsy, the Pokemon of the Power Plant loved their funny leader.

~_~_~_~_~_~

"Ugh..." the Walrein grunted and raised his large head, peering around the cavern.

He then sighed, seeing no flash of silvery blue, and put his head back between his flippers.

It was now three days since he had seen Articuno last, and even then he seemed flustered and withdrawn.

Suddenly the Walrein howled, it echoing all around the wet rocky walls, until heads appeared from the water in front of the island he was resting on.

"What is it?" a Corsola asked, hopping out of the water and looking up at the blubbery creature.

The Walrein sighed.

"Articuno's been gone for so long, I've just got so worried..." he suddenly bashed the rock with a flipper, and the Corsola fell backwards into the water with a squeal.

"That's it! We'll go to Spear Pillar and find Articuno!" and the Walrein waddled to the edge of the rock, and flopped into the water.

He resurfaced his head, looking around at the stationary Pokemon.

"Well?! Aren't you coming?" he slid back underwater, and the rest of the Water/Ice Pokemon grinned and followed.


	31. Tiring Teleportation and FLUFF!

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 31**

**AN: Just for Resilient Rose, Zapdos is on the good (fire) side, and Danny is NOT a Pokemon. He is a human. End of. :P**

"Whoa!"

"What just happened?!"

"SHITSHITSHIT!!"

For a second we were floating in mid-air, and then we all hit the ground.

Hard.

I groaned as I stood up and shook myself and glared at the laughing pink kitten.

"I could have just let you down on the ground, but I needed some light relief." Mew chuckled, and then we heard a huge eruption of sound from behind us.

"AAH!" Tobalt yelled, jumping backwards and facing his ridiculers.

An army.

An army of all shades of blue; an army of Water Pokemon.

"YOU WILL BOW TO US!" they screamed, and it felt like being in a football stadium. Brad growled.

I pushed my way to the front of our army and looked around.

About 3 miles long and 3 miles wide, with broken columns along the sides.

"Spear Pillar," Mew informed me quietly, and I nodded before I stepped out from behind Tobalt.

When the other army saw me, they laughed more raucously.

"WHERE'S REG?" I roared, and they laughed even more before a Vaporeon and a Gyarados parted to reveal a huge, hulking Blastoise.

He walked heavily to the front and roared back to us.

"TOMORROW AT SUNRISE WE WILL FIGHT!"

Immediately everyone on our side roared back, and I flattened my ears at the deafening blast of noise.

Then to my disbelief, Reggie's army turned and walked away.

"Umm... well... until tomorrow, do what you like!" I yelled, and my army dispersed.

I sighed and flopped onto the ground exhausted. Mew floated towards me concernedly.

"What's up?" I looked up at her and chuckled.

"If you had just walked for a whole day, then slept in an alley, then walked for another day, then got teleported to another region, wouldn't you be a little tired?" Mew grinned sheepishly before floating away to the Legendary Pokemon who were on our side.

I sighed and closed my eyes, not caring that I was right in the middle of the battlefield, and immediately sunk into sleep.

~_~_~_~_~_~

I yawned, blinked and lifted my head. The sky was a very dark, velvety blue, and completely cloudless.

I got up and started walking towards the moon, the three miles taking not nearly as long to walk as I'd expected.

When I was at the edge of one of the sides of Spear Pillar, I looked down and saw clouds. I knew that Mount Coronet was high, but over cloud altitude?! Yeesh.

I plonked myself down and lifted my head, just watching the moon and daydreaming. I thought I heard the call of a Fearow a long way below, but I ignored it. I sat like that for about an hour.

Suddenly I heard a scuffling sound behind me, and I whipped round to see Bradley, frozen to the spot where he was walking. He was staring at me with wide blue eyes.

I sighed and turned back round to stare at the sky, and I barely registered that Brad had sat down next to me, his legs dangling over the edge of the sheer cliff.

He whistled when he peered down and saw the clouds.

"It's pretty high up, isn't it?" he said sheepishly, and I nodded slowly.

"...you worried about tomorrow?" he asked tentatively, and I lowered my head to stare down the cliff face.

"Yeah, I just don't want to kill anything. It seems so harsh to take someone else's life just because they're being controlled by some evil moron," I said, feeling a slight surge of anger run through me.

I looked sideways at Brad, and jumped when I saw that the moon had changed the Charmeleon's blue eyes to a bright purple colour.

"Yeah, your eyes are bright green now. The moon does weird things," I snorted and Brad laughed too.

"Honestly though, most of those Pokemon with Reggie are there on their own choice. It's their fault that they're throwing their lives away for something they'll never get, not anyone else's." I looked directly in his crimson face, the light of the moon casting sharp relief over his features. He stared back and his scales went a slightly darker shade of red.

Then he looked away and gulped, and I grinned to myself and looked down at the fluffy clouds.

"Do you sometimes think you could fly?" he suddenly asked, and I looked up at the dark sky.

"...I never really thought about it before..." I said slowly, and out of the corner of my eye I saw him lift his gaze from me and stare at the moon.

"I've always wanted to. As soon as I'm a Charizard, I'll take you for a fly." he said, and I looked at him. He was blushing furiously, but still held his gaze at the sky.

"That'd be good," I said, and he immediately stared at me.

"R-really?" he spluttered, and I grinned.

"You little fool," I said mockingly, and he scowled.

"Stop playing around with me," he huffed, turned his scowl at the sky.

I continued laughing, but stopped when the moon illuminated a tear track down the side of his face.

I put a paw round him.

"I'm only kidding, Brad," I said quietly, and he smiled up at me happily.

I grinned happily back down.

And about ten metres behind, unknown to us, Blitz stood watching, enthralled.

"It's like a little fairytale," she whispered to Inferno next to her. The Magmar grinned.

"Yeah," he whispered back, before they both walked back to the sleeping Pokemon on our side.


	32. THIS IS SPARTAAAA I mean WAAAAR!

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 32**

"Amber! Hey, wake up!" I groaned and stood up, looking down at Blitz who had evidently been poking me for some time.

"Whazzamatter..." I slurred groggily, and Inferno slapped me in the face. I snarled, now wide awake, and saw the Magmar grinning smugly from beside me.

"Cheater." I growled, and Lucky nudged me for attention.

"Reggie told us that we are going to fight in five minutes," he said, and I felt something strapped to my head before I could panic.

"Don't worry, Amber. This TM will come in handy on the battlefield," Danny said, before he switched it on.

I gasped and staggered, nearly treading on Brad, as pictures of a yellow-ish beam flooded my vision... light gathered in another Arcanine's mouth, before it was shot in a giant beam to its opponent...

I shook my head in relief as it stopped, and Blitz explained the battle plan to me. I grinned as we set about telling the rest of the army. If this worked, we were laughing.

~_~_~_~_~

"ARE, YOU, READY!!" We heard a faint call from the distance where the other army were, and I checked behind me to make sure everything was in order.

Brad was standing on my back, holding onto my ears. Lucky and Blitz were on one side of me, while Inferno and Roger stood on the other. Mew floated above us, and behind were the rest of the army.

"Good luck!" Mew said down to me, and I grinned up at her before rearing onto my hind legs, Brad clinging onto my ears for dear life.

"LET'S GO!!" I roared, and plunged into a forward gallop, our army thundering behind.

"NOW!" I yelled back, using sunny day like there was no tomorrow as Reggie's army came into sight. The light was blinding as all of the Pokemon in the army that could, used sunny day as well.

I skidded to a stop as the rest did behind me.

"Wait," I muttered, as the opposition thundered ever closer.

"Waaiiit..." I muttered again, and I could see Reggie's angry eyes squinting in the bright light.

"NOW!" I roared, and we all opened our mouths, and collected light. Solarbeam, my dear readers, takes a very short time to charge when using sunny day, and is a lot more powerful.

_**Boom.**_

With a blast that could rival Rayquaza's hyper beam, we fired. The yellow beams rocketed into the other army; some of whom were blown backwards by the force of a hundred solarbeams, but most just hung on and ploughed through.

"SCREW THE PLAN, JUST FIGHT!!" I screamed back at the army, before making a spectacular leap and landing in the thick of the other army. I felt nothing apart from other Pokemon as I ripped and blasted them apart.

All hell broke out.

I fought for I don't know how long, before I felt a huge blow to my side, and I flew ungracefully through the air before landing in a heap near one of our medical Miltank.

She started towards me, but stopped when I got to my feet and glared back at the Golem who had socked me. She glared back and cracked her knuckles menacingly.

Just before I could get to her though, I heard a loud cry of, "CANNONBALL!!" and about twenty soaking wet Mareep landed on the Golem, sparking with electricity.

I ran off to fight more as the Golem lay limp and charred under the paws of a lot of electric sheep. I passed Ray fighting a Lucario, and Rain nearby fighting a Metagross, and soon realised that I was myself in combat with a large Flygon, who fired off a flamethrower which I absorbed.

I headbutted it hard, and then bit its wing with a poison fang savagely, and the Flygon fluttered to the floor sadly. I took a minute to silently apologise, before I flew off to win some more.

**Brad's POV**

I had been in combat for the last half-hour with none other than Reggie himself. The great ugly Blastoise had been trying to squish me with his tail, and whenever I attacked him, he just withdrew into his shell!

"Try this," I growled, finally having enough of it, and clamping my jaws down on one of his water cannons. The white-hot flames danced down his water cannons until they hit his windpipe, burning his lungs badly.

Reggie howled as I leapt off him quickly, watching him cough up blood and burnt bits of trachea, until he gave me a real death glare.

"Now you're dead."

**Amber's POV**

I heard a loud howl from somewhere to my left, and looked up to see a familiar red lizard flying through the air, a large paw-shaped purple bruise adorning his back.

I crouched for a minute before springing above the brawling Pokemon, opening my mouth and catching Brad before I dropped onto my paws safely on the ground.

I released the Charmeleon and gave him a look.

"What happened there?" I asked, and Bradley scowled.

"Him," he said murderously, jerking a claw behind his head to indicate a huge Blastoise stalking towards us, occasionally coughing up some blood which stained his snout red. I growled and stood up.

"Hey, Reg!" I barked, and he averted his eyes from Brad to me. He froze.

"You're going to pay!" I said sweetly, before leaping at my old tormentor, who just flung me to the side with a smug grin.

"That's what you said in Rustboro, but it never happened," Reg snickered, before grabbing my head and smashing it into the hard pavement, once, twice, three times until I heard a sharp crack and my vision clouded. He dropped me from a height, and I sprawled on the floor, blood running down my face and through my mane from the huge crack in my skull.

I was barely aware that the battle had stopped outside of our fight, and it was silent apart from the dripping of my blood onto the floor.

"Who's paying now?" Reggie grunted, putting his face close to mine. I blinked, and his face swam into focus a bit more, his stupid smug smile plastered over his horrible mug.

I snarled suddenly.

"You!" I roared, smashing his stomach with a mega kick, before clamping my huge jaws onto his forehead, unleashing poison directly inside his head.

"GAAHHHH!" he screamed, throwing himself onto his front in an attempt to get me off him. I rolled backwards, so that I was on top of him again, before I felt his powerful legs give a mighty rabbit kick, so that my fangs were ripped from his face, and I flew into the air.

I rolled and saw clouds.

"Oh crud," I whispered, before I closed my eyes, unwilling to feel my second death.

**AN: Sorry about how long it took, but I've been planning the next chapter since BEFORE DEVON, so I think it should be quite quickly done and dusted ^^  
Remember, all reviews are appreciated, whether they be love mail, hate mail, or flame mail. Push that little green button down there, and make one more author happy :D**


	33. Love and Flight

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 33**

**AN: I DON'T KNOW HOW LONG I'VE WANTED TO DO THIS SCENE BUT THANK YOU SO MUCH TO ALL THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE READ THIS FIC, AND ESPECIALLY TO THOSE WHO REVIEWED IT!!**

_...I rolled backwards__ so that I was on top of him again, before I felt his powerful legs give a mighty rabbit kick, so that my fangs were ripped from his face, and I flew into the air._

_I rolled and saw clouds._

"_Oh crud," I whispered, before I closed my eyes, unwilling to feel my second death._

I opened my eyes.

The foggy image of rocks came into my vision.

I then realised that I was not dead, and was looking at the side of Mount Coronet, and that someone was holding my paw tight, keeping me up.

I looked up.

There, purple in the scales, clutching my left fore-paw with all his might, eyes screwed up, tail flame brighter than ever, was Brad.

The Charmeleon squinted down at me with one eye, and tried to grin. It came out as a grimace, and then a shadow fell across him as a familiar blue shape squatted behind him.

"BRADLEY!" I screamed, as the giant blue leg swung out of nowhere and kicked Brad squarely in the back, sending him flying up and over the edge of the mountain, taking me with him.

I plummeted with my back to the ground, searching the sky for a glimpse of Brad.

I found him.

Just as I was beginning to feel better, I felt myself rush through something dense. A cloud. Which Brad disappeared into.

"NO!" I yelled, looking for him in the clouds above. He was gone.

As I cried, I rolled over to look down at the ground that I would splatter all over. It was a grassy meadow, with a few Mareep and Miltank grazing quietly.

I snorted through my tears when I pictured their faces as an Arcanine suddenly whams into their meadow. Then I sighed, closing my eyes and giving in to the wind, which rolled me over and over almost comfortingly as I freefell through the Sinnoh sky.

**Brad's POV**

I opened my eyes and scanned the area for my beloved Arcanine. I couldn't find her in the swirling clouds, and remembered the blood pouring from her head as that bastard pummelled her head into the dirt again and again...

I remembered her scooping me out of the water on the ferry, and relighting my tail... I remembered her being taken away from us by Percy Prat, and me silently willing her not to go.

Then I remembered her catching me when I was surely going to die, all because of Reggie. My blood curdled, and I roared with rage, tensing my whole body and feeling pure fire surge through my veins... feeling raw power strengthening my body... feeling myself beat my wings and stop falling.

I opened my eyes from when I had unconsciously closed them. I looked down at myself.

It looked like I was going to be giving Amber her fly sooner than we had expected.

**Amber's POV**

Suddenly, I heard a mighty roar echo from above, and I opened my eyes with a jolt. I wondered why I was still falling; after all it must have been at least five minutes of plummeting at an impossible speed.

I rolled to face the ground, and saw alarmed Miltank and Mareep staring up at me in horror. I was only about a mile off the ground now, and it was coming fast.

I don't know why, but I suddenly felt a surge of hope.

"BRAAAD!!" I screamed, rolling to face the sky and stretching a paw to the heavens.

"AAAMBERRRR!" I heard a yell from above, and I saw an orange shape above me, with shimmering blurs at each side. My eyes grew wide. Surely he hadn't done that for me?

The Charizard flew down to me, an arm stretched to grab my paw, and I saw the gigantic scar running down his face an over his eye, mingled with the tears all over his face.

Okay, he had.

Brad's new wings were being tested to their extreme limit, flapping so fast that you could hardly see them, and were only increasing his speed straight downwards.

I stretched my paw further, and looked up to see the Charizard's face just above. As if in slow motion, he stretched his hand a bit further, and grabbed my paw.

"HANG ON!" he shouted, as he nearly pulled my leg out of its socket with the force of his pull on my paw as he curved his body sideways and stopped flapping, his wings spread out in a glide position.

I was jolted straight into him, and I instinctively gripped him around his back, as I felt his new, strong arms hug me to his stomach. It took me a minute to realise that we were no longer falling, and instead were gliding smoothly sideways over the field.

I removed my head from where it had been buried in Brad's chest, and peered down at the grassy field, where the Miltank and Mareep were cheering, some Miltank even waving to us.

As we landed in the field, I grinned up at Brad, before I felt a sharp pain in my head, and my vision clouded more than ever.

"Amber," Brad said quietly, lifting my head to look at him. A tear was trickling down his face.

"That was the best fly ever," I breathed seeing his eyes widen for a second, before I slipped away into blackness. But I didn't go before I felt something on my cheek...

~_~_~_~_~_~

'Eye in the Sky' Mildred Featherstone, had had an eventful day in her helicopter. First, she had sat for about three hours hovering over a smelly field full of smelly Mareep and smelly Miltank.

Then, she had heard a terrific and frightening roar from above, and then a dull thwack, and then a distressed scream of, 'ARCAAA!!!" and Arcanine coming hurtling through the clouds to the now also distressed Pokemon below, before a glowing shape flew down after it.

The shape grew and grew, until it roared in response to a yell from the Arcanine.

"ZAAARD!!" the Charizard swooped down, catching the Arcanine and settling onto the field after a graceful glide with its new wings.

After this, the news reporter sank back in her chair, got a cup of water, and poured it all over her head. The television screen chirped cheerily over her head, and she gave the woman on the screen a death glare.

"Mildred, have any news for us about--"

"GET LOST YOU FUCKING MORON!!!" poor Mildred yelled, before smashing the little video camera that was recording her with a brilliant punch.

The reporter's forced smile became more forced.

"Eh. Heh. Well, good for you, Millie." the reporter gave a big thumbs up, before talking about a new study on the intelligence of Magikarp.

Mildred Featherstone then got the shock of her life, as the Charizard from earlier flew straight past her helicopter with a roar and a blast of fire, a gigantic bundle of fur in his arms. She poured another glass of water over herself, as she ripped up her contract.

She didn't know just what had really happened.

**AN: I couldn't end it on a tear-jerking moment, I love comedy too much!! So I just had to end it on a lighter note :)**

**How will our best fluffy friend escape this?!**

**Leave little review for a little hyper author!!! Please??**


	34. We're Not Done Yet!

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 34**

**AN: ****I love you if you have read this story!!! (hugs everyone) Love you guys!! ...Of course, I love you even more if you've reviewed, too... *wink***

**Brad's POV**

How would you feel if someone took your heart, ripped it up, and threw it over a cliff? Yeah, you'd feel crushed. Not to mention dead. Well, I wasn't dead when Amber died, but it felt like a part of me had.

I just stood there for a bit, crying into Amber's soft mane, before I bundled her into my arms and began the long flight back up to Spear Pillar. I spotted a helicopter, and roared as I shot past it, hopefully terrifying the people inside.

How ironic, I thought bitterly. I save her from splatting all over a field, and she dies anyway from a cracked skull.

Hopefully the gang will have saved me a bit of Reggie to kill, anyway.

~_~_~_~_~_~

_I yawned and opened my eyes. I saw mist, and realised that I was sprawled on a soft surface, rather like a gigantic mattress. I got to my feet, blinking sleep out of my eyes as I looked around. Blue sky, clouds everywhere... and a giant yellow stag-like creature floating in midair ahead of me. I nearly laughed; I'd always thought that Arceus looked like he'd just __run into a giant wheel._

"_Amber, you're dead. I assume you already know this. You died because your brain haemorrhaged when your skull was cracked open. The foggy vision you experienced was because the part of your brain that deals with sight was damaged by the haemorrhage."_

_I looked down at myself; I was still an Arcanine._

"_Are you going to bring me back?!" I barked in excitement, Arcanine instincts making my tail wag crazily. Arceus chuckled, and I realised my mouth was open and my tongue hanging out, true Arcanine fashion._

"_Yes, when Giratina gets here." the stripey snake promptly put his mouth near Arceus' ear and whispered, "Boo!" Arceus jumped (if that's even possible when floating in midair) and scowled at the laughing Giratina._

"_Why do you always take so long to show up?" Arceus complained, and Giratina chuckled._

"_Because you are so impatient, that's why. Anyway, shall we?" Arceus nodded, and waved his hoof in a circle, making a green one appear around me._

"_Amber, before you go, look down." I obeyed Giratina and looking down through the cloud I was standing on._

_I saw a greyish square, almost like a chessboard, with crumbling towers on either side. Even from this height, I could see the two armies grouped around one of the sides doing something. Then I looked up, amazed._

"_I'm in the Hall of Origin," I said, awed. Arceus nodded impatiently._

"_Yes, we established that. Now, just say the word, and you'll be back where you started!" I grinned at Arceus, then at Giratina in turn._

"_Thank you so much!" I cried happily, feeling the clouds part under my feet, and I fell down, towards the group of Pokemon..._

_I saw Reggie grinning; a smug smile on his fat face... I saw Brad clutching something large and furry with tears cascading down his face... before I landed with an unpainful WHAM! in my old body._

**Brad's POV**

"You know, that was pathetic." My face contorted I rage as I slowly raised my head from Amber's body and met Reggie's cool gaze.

"Evolving to save a Pokemon who was going to die anyway because of head injuries. Pathetic." the Blastoise spat the last word out in disgust, and I dropped Amber and stood up, surprised to find myself about three feet taller than him.

"You're a moron." I stated in quiet anger, striding to Reggie and towering over him. He snickered.

"Is that the best you can think of?" he asked, snorting. I growled quietly, and Reggie grinned up at me, knowing my predicament.

"If you attack me, my army can extinguish your tail flame in a snap. Actually, we could wipe out all the rock and fire types in your army very quickly indeed." he said all this very calmly, his face expressionless apart from that old smile that plastered his stupid face.

Then suddenly he doubled over, coughing badly. I backed away slightly, wrinkling my snout as a mixture of flesh and blood tumbled out of the Blastoise's mouth. Reg hacked a last time before lifting his head to stare at me again.

"You made me like this," he croaked, and I grinned down at him, glad to have something over on him.

A few gasps came from behind me, but I ignored them because I was too busy sneering down at Reggie.

Suddenly his old grin returned, and I backed away and cringed as I saw the water blasting towards me from the twin water cannons. I shut my eyes, only glad to join Amber wherever she'd gone.

...I was puzzled. I could still hear the water, but it wasn't hitting me. I peeped out from one eye.

The great orange and black dog was standing on her hind legs, front ones pushing against the force of the water. Her giant tail was waving slightly, and her ears were flat against her mane. She gasped and took a step towards Reggie, the water faltering slightly as Amber's pure might overpowered Reggie's powerful water cannons.

"You really think you can kill me, then kill Brad as well?" she snarled, screwing up all her power in her back legs and leaping through the water, towards the Blastoise whose face was a mixture of bewilderment... and fright.

Amber, the twice reborn Arcanine, twisted sideways in the water, slamming into Reg with all her weight. We were standing right in front of the sheer drop which I and Amber had experienced earlier.

Reg tumbled through the air, a paw stretched to the sky, yelling for help as he vanished through the clouds below.

I looked at Amber, who was standing leaning over the edge of the cliff. Her face was expressionless, until we heard a dull boom from below, when she pulled a tongue at the clouds and said one word, and one word only.

"Nyah!"

**Amber's POV**

I looked up from the clouds, and grinned at Brad. His mouth slowly slid open in shock, and I grinned at him, before being amused at the fact that everyone had been watching.

"What? If I can be reborn once, surely it isn't that bad to be reborn twice?!" I couldn't say any more, because I was immediately constricted by a massive hug from Brad, Lucky, Blitz, Inferno and Danny.

"Amber! Did Arceus do you too?!"

"I knew you were going to live!" Sure I did!"

"AMBER!!!"

"No matter how many times you die, we just can't get rid of you, can we?"

I laughed and hugged my friends back, as our army cheered.

Suddenly a huge bang shook the earth, and a purple blur tumbled ungracefully down after Reggie. Mew soon followed, her pink fur stained with blood and with a huge black eye. She had apparently found some paint, and had decided to give herself war stripes on her cheeks, and had also tied a horrible green and purple tie around her forehead.

She dusted her paws together, and turned to face us. She grinned widely.

"So, I gather none of you got killed, then!"

Me and Brad turned to face each other, grinned, then faced Mew again.

"You have no idea."

**AN: I have no idea where the ending came from, but this is not the end!!! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.**


	35. Familiar Faces and Good Times

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 35**

**AN: I have no idea why people think that the story is finished. I mean, this is only the 35****th**** chapter!! I want to make this a LONG story!!  
Also, thanks to everyone for reviewing and making me very happy ^^  
Ooh, and while I remember, this chapter is dedicated to Felix the Eeveetrainer. I don't know why. Meh. :)**

"Hopefully I won't see you again for a while!" Mew called, as she flew into the distance.

"Bye!" we all shouted, waving after her until she was just a dark speck in the darker sky. Then both armies began to disperse, heading to other fields in the Safari Zone.

I looked at Danny, then down at Blitz and Inferno.

"I can't believe that that was only one day! It feels like forever since we beat the crap out of Koga!" Inferno sighed, sitting in the grass as Brad kicked Rain away from me. I looked puzzled for a minute.

"That was when you were with Percy, don't you remember?" Danny said, and I laughed.

"It does feel like years ago! I can hardly remember Lucky falling down the toilet on the ferry!" I chuckled, and Lucky stopped chasing his tails and looked up, one unfortunate tail in his mouth. In short, he looked like a complete idiot.

"Whumch?" he mumbled confusedly through his tail, as we all laughed at the puzzled Ninetales. He shrugged, and released his tail by accident.

"Hey! Get back here!" he yelled in frustration, chasing his tails once more whilst spitting a few black hairs from his mouth. As we laughed, Lucky slowed his frenzied running in circles, staggered a few times and collapsed on his stomach, cross-eyed.

"Ah, good times," Blitz chuckled, wiping a tear from her eye with a paw. Brad laughed and set Lucky back on his feet, where he collapsed again muttering about prawns.

Brad sat down next to the now sleeping Lucky.

"Yeah, in the end I had to get on the rim of the loo seat and pull him out, because I was the smallest!" we all looked up at Brad, who looked back down at us, puzzled.

"What?" he asked, as Danny walked over and stood next to the Charizard. He barely met Brad's chest.

"I'm six foot tall, and you're about three feet taller than me," Danny muttered, as Brad stared down at him, bewildered.

"Yeah? What's the problem?" Brad asked, and Danny burst out laughing. Brad growled.

"What is funny about me?" he demanded, snorting a few flames dangerously close to Danny's already flaming hair. Danny chuckled nervously and stared up at Brad.

"You're about two feet taller than the average Charizard. You always said you were the smallest; well now you're the biggest." Brad's mouth dropped open as Danny sat back down next to Blitz, and ruffled her fur.

"I told you! I never really thought you were smaller than any other Charmander anyway!" I said, and Lucky looked up, blinking sleep out of his eyes. He stared dully at Brad for a minute, before shrieking and zooming behind me.

"Where'd the Charizard come from?!" I cuffed him over the head, and he obediently sat down and started scratching himself. I stared at him.

"We really need to do something about that," I heard Danny hiss to Inferno, who nodded and then jumped when someone tapped him on the shoulder.

"Oh, hey Roger!" Inferno said happily, as the Dragonite sat down in between Brad and the Magmar. Roger smiled at Inferno, then looked seriously at Danny.

"I would like to come with you and the others around Kanto," he stated, and we all gasped audibly. To be honest I never knew why, maybe for dramatic effect.

Danny grinned, and then let his face drop.

"I would happily, but I was going to do the Indigo League using only Fire Pokemon, and I want to do it properly and use Fire Pokemon for all the Gyms and battles too!" Roger nodded and smiled.

"Perhaps you have a travelling companion? Someone who would like to have a Dragonite as part of their team?" he suggested hopefully, and I and Brad snorted. I think anyone would like a Dragonite as part of their team.

"No, I'm sorry," Danny began, but I cut him short. I could hear a rustling, and it wasn't a Pokemon. There was silence as we strained to hear.

I waggled my sensitive ears, and saw Blitz look shocked long before I detected the sound of muttering. Human muttering.

"Back in the Pokeballs, everyone!" Danny muttered, returning everyone but me.

"...no worthwhile Pokemon here, _whatsoever_..." a familiar female voice muttered, as a girl stepped out of the long grass. She was wearing green flip-flops, white short-shorts, and a green and white stripey tank top.

She looked like a yoghurt advert.

Wait, I've said that description before.

She tripped on a blade of grass (aka. My paw), stumbled and regained her balance by hanging onto my ear.

She pulled herself partly up, and stared into my face. I growled.

"Eep!" she squealed, accidentally launching herself into Danny, who was wagging a disapproving finger at me.

"You need to keep your- OH! I've seen you before!" she shouted shrilly, looking up at Danny. Danny's face was blank for a minute, before he exclaimed.

"Oh yeah! Amber pounded your Spheal, didn't she! And I still have your old Vulpix!" At the mention of my name, Sandy gave me a half-scared glance, and at the mention of Lucky, Sandy's mouth slid open.

"Oh, but before I show you, how would you like to travel with me?" Sandy looked up at Danny, and nodded at his request. Danny grinned and winked at me, before beckoning to a tall patch of grass nearby.

"Oh. My. God." Sandy spluttered, gob-smacked, when Roger walked slowly out of the grass. He looked at Sandy and gave a small smile.

"His name's Roger, and if he's okay with that, then he's all yours!" as Sandy wrung Danny's hand and shrieked her thanks, I looked up in delight at Roger.

"You're travelling with us!" I cried, hugging him. He studied his new trainer's face, before his small smile grew bigger.

"Yeah, I think she's a good trainer." he murmured, before the Safari Ball claimed him as Sandy's. Sandy grinned at the ball and clipped it with pride onto her Pokeball belt.

Then she swung round to face Danny, orange eyes shining.

"Right. Where do we start?"

**AN: Roger was just too good to lose! And Sandy's back! I wonder what she'll make of Lucky, and whether our mentally-challenged Ninetales will remember her... :P**

**Also, remember to review. Otherwise I may be forced to make Brad incinerate you. ^^**


	36. Feelings and a Bit of Spying

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 36**

**AN: This chapter is dedicated to XoxFirebirdxoX, so stuff that up your faces and read!!! :D**

"God, why are there no hotels with rooms?" Sandy moaned, dragging her feet next to me as we plodded through the midnight streets of Fuchsia City. Danny, sitting comfortably on my back, grinned down at her. Sandy gave him a death glare.

"For the last time, why can't we try the Pokemon Centre?!" I asked, exasperated, and Danny tapped me on the back of my neck.

"Don't be cheeky," he said, and I growled back a retort. Sandy stared at him.

"You actually understand Pokemon speech?" she asked faintly. Danny shrugged.

"Yeah, they're just as intelligent as humans."

"Some more so."

"Hey!" Danny gave me a swift slap on the side of my neck, and I grinned. My thick mane had cushioned his blow. Sandy shook her head and turned away, scouring the streets for any lights.

Then she sighed and took out of her pocket a little white phone.

"I guess we'll just have to camp for the night. Mind if I...?" Sandy prompted, and I nodded back to Danny. Danny moved back a little, and Sandy clambered onto my back. Her hands sank into my fur.

"Aww, it's so soft!" she squealed, stroking my fur with one hand and pressing buttons with her other. Suddenly Danny clicked his fingers together, and I stopped walking.

Even though I was once human, I had the usual Arcanine obedience and loyalty. Danny fell off my back, followed gracefully by Sandy. As Danny used my tail as leverage to get up, Sandy clicked her phone a few times and suddenly a ready-made tent was sitting on the pavement in front of us. Sandy turned and saw me and Danny gawking, and giggled.

"It's a PackRat. It's a phone that stored real stuff and keeps it inside. It can even store live things too!" I backed away a pace as Sandy pulled some Pokeballs out of it.

"I wondered why you didn't have a backpack," Danny said, shrugging off his own and failing to set his tent up. Sandy giggled again and Danny's tent disappeared, then reappeared fully set up. Danny whistled before saying a quick thanks and disappearing inside it. His tent was a gigantic six-man tent, which I knew had two little rooms leading off it as well.

I waved with a paw back at Sandy, who waved weakly back, before I trotted into the tent.

"Out ya come!" Danny said, letting everyone out of their Pokeballs. They looked around, confused, until Danny gave them their briefing.

"Sandy's travelling with us. Also, because of this, so's Roger." Inferno cheered; he was probably Roger's best friend. But Blitz' hackles raised at the sound of Sandy's name.

"What, the bitch who dumped Lucky?" she snarled, and Lucky looked up from where he had been investigating Danny's backpack.

"What?" when no one replied to Lucky, he shrugged and lay down next to me.

"Yes, her." Blitz began to argue, but Inferno tapped her on the head. She glared back at him, and he slowly shook his head. The Houndoom slowly simmered down, and Danny crawled into one of the little separate rooms.

"Try to get some sleep, you lot," he yawned, before he zipped the little door up. As Blitz and Lucky fought over a blanket in the corner, a small nudge on my shoulder made me look up.

"Can we go for a walk?" Brad asked quietly, his face beet red (well, more red than a Charizard's face usually is). I nodded, and we slipped out of the tent, leaving the door open.

We walked for a bit, leaving the city far behind, and I sat down on a rock and looked up at the sky. It was full of stars and it was a crisp, still autumn night. I then looked at Brad. His clear blue eyes gazed back.

"Is this about what happened in the war?" I asked gently, and he nodded, sitting down on the grass beside my rock. I hopped off it, walked around to his other side and sat next to him. He looked up, staring at the stars.

"I-I was so angry with myself when you'd died," he muttered, almost to himself, and I stared at him. He lowered his head to look at his claws, and continued talking.

"I felt as if I'd just not been stupid enough to breathe fire down Reg, he would never have made you fight him, and then wouldn't have bashed your head in," he said a little louder. I nudged his head up with my paw to look in my eyes.

"Breathing fire down his throat was genius. And also, I would have died either way." he flinched, and I nudged his shoulder with my head.

"Also, it doesn't matter whether I died then, because I'm alive now. I'm still here." Brad blinked a tear over his scar. I reached a paw up and wiped the tear away.

"Daft lizard," I grinned, shaking my head slightly as I withdrew my paw. Brad rolled his eyes and sniffed, before returning his gaze to the sky.

"I knew you wouldn't," he murmured, barely moving his mouth. I raised an eyebrow and leant against him, my head on his shoulder. He stiffened for a minute, before he put his arm around me and rested his head on top of mine.

"Are you sure about that?" I asked quietly.

And meanwhile, unknown to us, a certain Houndoom, Dragonite and Magmar were watching from a large distance. The Houndoom was crying silently, the Magmar watching with a small smile, and the Dragonite looking smug. Then the Dragonite raised an eyebrow at his comrades.

"Are you sure they would like us watching this?"

**Bwahaha, I had to add in the end bit!! Who knew that Roger was so gullible, or that Blitz was so nosey?! Pahahahaaa!! Anyway, make an author happy today, and reviewwww!!! :D**


	37. Meet Electric Death and an Old Enemy

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 37**

**AN: This is dedicated ****to someone. I dunno who. Meh. -_-  
**

I blinked and sneezed, before I looked up at the fluzzy shapes in front of me. I blinked and they came into focus, one of them Blitz, grinning evilly.

I yawned, shook my ear back from where it had drooped over my face, and spoke to the nosey Houndoom.

"You were spying, weren't you?" before Blitz could reply, however, there came a giant noise from beside me. I looked round and saw Brad finishing off the largest yawn I'd ever seen. He blinked sleepily before slapping himself fully awake and staring at me. He blushed.

"What?" I asked, before I realized that I was snuggled up to him in the tent, and he had his arm and wing covering my back.

"Ah, what the hell, Blitz was snooping last night anyway," I yawned to Brad, who had been removing his arm and wing. He looked surprised for a minute, before he grinned and put them back.

"Fine by me." Blitz grinned evilly again, and I stared up at her.

"What?" Blitz turned to go, but paused and looked over her shoulder.

"Lucky's sane this morning." Brad facepalmed with his other arm, and I let my head drop to the floor as the black Ninetales trotted into the tent. He stopped dead. Then a curious spluttering noise came from him, and I looked up to see him laughing his furry head off.

"None of your cheek, mister," I scolded, swatting him with a paw. He wheezed and got up, rubbing his leg gingerly.

"Nice to see you two together. Blitz isn't the only one who knows things like this, you know!" said Lucky, before grinning and continuing.

"By the way, Danny says that if you two don't come out to see Sandy and the others soon, then he'll let Sandy put you into her PackRat." Lucky then trotted out of the tent and into the morning sunshine, and Brad shifted a bit next to me, looking confused.

"What's a PackRat?" he asked, and I looked him solemnly in the eye.

"Pure evil." I replied with a shudder, before he shrugged and got to his feet, waiting for me to do the same. I trotted out of the tent, and Brad followed close behind.

Danny, Lucky, Inferno and Blitz were sitting outside near a fire. At first I wondered why we had one, then I remembered that Danny wasn't a permanently toasty Fire Pokemon. After all, October could get pretty chilly in Kanto.

"Where's Sandy and her Pokemon?" asked Brad, and we all turned our heads to her tent, where a small squeal had just come from inside. Then the girl's head popped out of her tent, followed by the rest of her. She was wearing white jeans, a dark green polo-neck shirt, a white jacket, a white fluffy bobble hat, and green gloves.

Danny's eyes widened slightly.

"I wondered if you ever wore anything different to the yoghurt advert style," all us Pokemon facepalmed/pawed, and Sandy stared at Danny with a weirded out look.

"O... kay? Anyway, I thought that we could all get to know each other better this morning before setting out anywhere," she said, taking three Pokeballs out of her jacket pocket.

"Come out, guys!" Sandy cried, lobbing the balls high into the air and releasing three Pokemon. A Scyther, who flitted to a nearby tree and sat up it, a Shinx who looked like it wanted to die, and a large Sealeo.

"Polar, say hello to Danny, Amber, Brad, Lucky, Blitz and Inferno! Everyone, this is Polar!" the Sealeo studied each of our faces in turn, and when she came to mine, she froze.

"Don't I know you from another place else?" she asked sweetly, cocking her head to one side confusedly. I smiled.

"You need to learn grammar!" I said equally sweetly, and Polar scowled before her mouth made an 'o' of surprise. Her head turned to Brad, and she blanched.

"W-weren't you that undersized Charmander on Cinnabar?" she stammered, and Brad growled and stood up straight, towering above the shivering piece of blubber.

"Yeah." snarled the Charizard, and Polar waddled backwards as fast as she could, straight into the fire.

"YYOWWCH!!" she yelped, in her terror using water gun at me. It hit me in the face, and my now sopping wet mane flopped over my eyes. Blitz and Inferno started cackling, Brad sat back down sniggering, and Lucky fell about laughing as Sandy and Polar started panicking.

"I'm sorry! I honestly never meant to do no harm!! Honest!"

"Danny we need to get her to a Pokemon Center NOW!!" Danny wheezed with laughter before grinning evilly.

"Amber, if you're fine, shake that water all over Sandy." I grinned toothily as water dripped off my chin, trotted over to the squealing girl, and shook myself violently.

POOF.

I looked around, puzzled at how my mane wasn't in my eyes any more, until I realised that I now had an afro. Even the suicidal Shinx looked like it was going to laugh, and I gave a smile at soaked Sandy, and sat back down next to Brad, who laughed and clapped me on my back.

Sandy stood there wet for a minute, then sat down by the fire and patted Polar, who was sulking and occasionally shooting death glares at me and Brad, while rubbing her tail with a flipper. Death-Shinx snickered.

"I can dry you off, if you like," Inferno offered innocently, and Danny snorted. He translated it to Sandy, who blanched and stared at Inferno.

"Uhh... no thanks." she shivered, and I stood up, walked round the circle until I was beside her, and lay down on my front. Sandy got the message and leant against me, stroking my hot fur.

"Zytha, come here!" she called, and the Scyther was in front of her. I blinked.

"Zytha this is..." Sandy then told the Scyther our names, each name punctuated by a lightning nod from the bug. He looked like he'd been drilled into quick reaction at some boot camp.

"And Johann, this is--" the Shinx glared up at Sandy and hissed.

"I-am-a-girl!" 'Johann' snarled, sparking from her tail. Danny muffled a snigger.

"Sandy, I think you might want to rename your Shinx," he said, trying not to laugh again. Sandy looked puzzled as the Shinx sighed.

"...you mean it's a girl?" she managed finally, and the poor electric cat leapt up in a frenzy.

"YES THAT'S WHAT I'VE BEEN TRYING TO TELL YOU SINCE YOU CAPTURED ME FROM MY HOME!!!!" it roared as viciously as a kitten could, and Sandy scooted away from it as it writhed on the ground.

"Sandy, I'd change her name before she hurts herself," Danny said as the Shinx started banging her head against the ground.

"Um, okay, um, urr, eh, um--"

"Just get on with it!" Blitz barked, and Sandy hoisted her Shinx up by its scruff, and put her up to her face. She spat in Sandy's eye.

"Fluffy?" Spit.

"Freya?" Spit.

"Kitty?" Scratch.

Exasperated (and bleeding from her cheek), Sandy dropped her Shinx onto my head and conked herself on her head. She growled.

"Fine. I'll call you Electric Death. Ella for short." 'Ella' stopped struggling and a look of pure bliss came over her little face.

"...I'm called Death..." she breathed, looking as if she'd just shook hands with Simon Cowell. I shook Ella off my head and scooted away from her, as did everyone apart from Sandy, who stared at us.

"What?"

**AN: Ah, nothing like an emo Shinx. :) Anyway, hope you like this chapter!! Please review, otherwise Lucky gets to use you as a chew toy ^^****  
Also, Sandy will realise that Lucky is out of the ordinary sometime, but I feel like keeping the suspense a bit longer :P**


	38. SANDY BASHING!

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 38**

**AN: Ooh, nearing the 100****th**** review!! Whoever makes the hundredth review gets to have the next chapter dedicated to them, so hurry up and review!! :D**

"So, which Gym should we go to next?" Sandy asked, and Danny paused in his packing up the tent.

"I don't know. Do you have any preferences?" Sandy nodded and clapped her gloves together, Ella-Death stepping away from her in disgust.

"Can we go to Lavender Town? Pleeaase? I really want a cute Ghost Pokemon!" Danny shrugged.

"Sure, but first I need to check out the Fuchsia Pokemon Professor's place for Amber," he said, and I looked up from where I'd been stamping out the fire.

"Why?" I asked, and Danny grimly pointed the Pokedex at me.

"This is why."

"_Moves learned so far: ember, extremespeed, tackle, agility, roar, scratch, overheat, mega kick, flamethrower, body slam, fire fang, thunder fang, ice fang, slash, strength, poison fang, water gun."_ I looked up, confused.

"Wait, did that just say--?"

"Yeah, I tried it last night while you were asleep with Brad, and it came up with that then as well. I have a suspicion that Moltres not only made you _immune _to water, but _part_ Water type as well." I raised an eyebrow as Blitz and Inferno slowly looked up. Lucky, to give us some light relief, ran headfirst into a tree.

"Actually, that could be feasible. I mean, Ludicolo are Water/Grass type, aren't they? So why not Fire/Water type?" Inferno said slowly, thinking. I shrugged.

"You know, there's a simple way to find out if the Pokedex is broken or not!" I said cheerily, fixing my stare on Ella. She rolled her eyes.

"Oh, fine. Just take everything out on the depressed Shinx, why don't you? Just make my life even worse," she said sarcastically as I opened my mouth and nearly choked on something as it came to the surface of my throat.

I spat the clear water in a forceful torrent at Ella, who scowled as she was blown backwards into Lucky. Lucky shrieked with pain at the cold water and used Ella to dry himself off, and only succeeded in getting himself wetter. That was when the Shinx finally had enough, and electrocuted the poor Ninetales.

"Well, the Pokedex certainly wasn't wrong," Blitz said in surprise as frazzled Lucky tottered up with an afro to rival my mane.

I felt a poke on my back. I turned around to see Brad, and he nodded in the direction of Sandy. I choked.

Sandy was sitting on a log with her Packrat lying forgotten at her feet, staring not at me, but at Lucky who was now beside me, whining for me to clean him up.

"Where did you get that Ninetales?" she whispered to Danny, as I licked Lucky's browned fur back to its usual glossy black.

"Don't you remember?" he asked back, and Lucky looked up at Sandy through his deep green eyes. Both the girl's and the Ninetales' eyes widened.

"You!" Lucky spat flames at Sandy and zipped behind me, snarling around my leg at her. Sandy gaped and stood up, fuming. I could almost see smoke furling from her ears.

As she approached me, Brad, Inferno and Blitz all stood up and made a protective wall beside me. I felt pressure on my back and head and realised that Lucky was standing on top of me, glaring defiantly down at shaking Sandy.

"I took care of you! I fed you! I groomed you!" she said in anger, and Lucky answered back angrily. I growled a warning as Sandy enlarged a Pokeball.

"You took care of me, but only because I was a kit! You fed me, oh yes, but only about once a day! You groomed me only when I was so badly hurt from being forced to battle that you had to cover it up!" At this, we all grouped tighter together to keep Sandy from flying at Lucky. Zytha and Polar were watching from the sidelines, the Scyther just as expressionless as ever, but the Sealeo looking shocked. Ella was sitting staring up at Sandy, and then to our surprise walked over and sat down in front of me, facing Sandy.

"I hate my own life, but not someone else's." the Shinx stated, starting to clean her paw.

Sandy hadn't understood our speeches word-for-word, but she'd got the general message all right. She sat down in the dust and sniffed.

Lucky hopped off me and we separated, the Ninetales still keeping his distance from Sandy. Danny produced the Pokeballs from his belt.

"Everyone, back into your Pokeballs." he said, returning everyone but me. I crouched so that Danny could sit astride my back and looked at Sandy with disdain as she returned all her Pokemon apart from Ella. Ella hopped onto my head, and Sandy with a nervous glance at me scrambled onto my back behind Danny.

"Can you remember where this Professor was, Amber?" Danny asked, trying to act brisk and normal. He failed and just sounded nervous instead.

"Yeah, I'll take you there as fast as I can." I replied, grinning to myself as I heard a small, "Oh shit," come from the general direction of Sandy.

"If you're thinking what I think you're thinking, then you're thinking a very good thought." snickered Ella-Death from my head, and I reared up with a laugh at Sandy's shriek.

"Oh yes," I yelled as I rocketed forwards in a gallop. "I'm thinking exactly what you're thinking!"

~_~_~_~_~_~

"Noo noo noo nooo..." Sandy burbled as she slid off my back and crumpled on the floor. I then smirked and crouched low, allowing Danny and Ella to gracefully step onto the pavement.

"Here, this'll help," Ella said sweetly, but with the most evil smirk ever to appear on a kitten's face, to Sandy as she settled in the girl's lap.

ZAP.

"Amber, is this the lab?" Danny asked, not noticing frazzled Sandy fly into the air and land on her head in a plant pot, Ella cackling like an idiot as she sailed through the air and landed on her ass at my feet, still crying with laughter. Danny turned round and frowned at us.

"Hey, where's Sandy?" Sandy yanked her head out of the plant pot and slowly walked to us.

"Mutiny... you are all against me..." she whispered, wild-eyed.

"We should get a Pokeball for her, too!" I whispered to Ella, and we both dissolved into fresh laughter as Danny gave Sandy a swift slap on each cheek. She glared at him, flushed with indignation. She drew out a Pokeball.

"Return, Ella." she said curtly, Ella's still-laughing form materializing into the Pokeball and then into the dreaded Packrat. I shivered.

Danny shook his head and pushed open the door to the lab. He looked around before seeing a man in a lab coat, and he walked up to him.

"Hey, I was wondering if I could get my Arcanine examined?" he asked as I trotted up to the Professor. His face broke into a smile.

"Hey, Amber! I gather the war went your way, then?" he said delightedly, not waiting for an answer but sweeping another door open and ushering us inside.

"Just wait a minute while I put the translator on..." he muttered, bustling around in a cabinet to one side of the clean, white room. There was a small swimming pool, a few Pokemon toys and dolls, and a small climbing frame.

The Professor slipped the collar around my neck and switched it on, before he looked alarmed and addressed Danny.

"Oh, I'm sorry, but is Amber your Arcanine?" Danny nodded.

"Good, good. Now what is it you wanted to see me about?" Professor asked kindly, and Danny answered.

"Well, Amber can use water attacks and she's immune to water. Does that suggest that she's part Water type?" the Professor gave Danny a blank look.

"Of course!" he said like we were stupid. I spat water at his head.

"Hey, not all of us are Pokemon Professors, you know!" I said, and he straightened his glasses and stood back up.

"Well, that's true, but you could have easily checked!" Danny looked up as the Professor took his Pokedex and pointed it at me.

"_Name: Amber. Specie: Arcanine. Type(s): Fire, Water."_ I looked up, startled as the Professor gave Danny back the Pokedex with a smug smile.

"There. And since Amber is part Water, she can participate in any Water Pokemon competitions. I'll sign a form saying that she can." as the Prof handed over the form to Danny, Sandy stared.

"So... that means that Amber can compete in the Fuchsia Water Tournament, then?" I looked up.

"What Water Tournament?" I asked. The Professor supplied an answer.

"It's an annual competition here in Fuchsia; part battle and part contest. The first half of the rounds are contests, and the second half are battling. It's a serious competition," I slowly looked up at Danny, who looked back down. We were both grinning.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

"Oh, yes."

**AN: Lots of Lucky and Sandy bashing here!! And the hundredth review competition still stands; who will the next chapter be dedicated to?? :D**


	39. Meaningless Writers' Block Babblings

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 39**

**AN: Sorry for the lack of chapters this half-term, but my laptop sort of went into miniature melt-down for a few days. Also, to add to the news, I've discovered that Thornton's Viennese truffle chocolate bars make me hyper. AND, I've got a new fic as well! It's called Alakazam Academy, and sorta bares a resemblance to Harry Potter.... meh, enjoy. ^^**

**EEK, I almost forgot!! The competition!! ~clears throat~ The competition winner was SarahNicole98!! And just to please her, we'll have a bit of fluff in this chapter. :) Enjoy!**

"So you _are_ part Water type?" Inferno looked confused but also pleased. Blitz and Lucky were fighting over a bowl of spicy Pokefood, and so hadn't heard my announcement.

I was sitting next to Brad, who had an arm around my shoulders, and Danny and Sandy were chatting about the competition on one of the sofas in our pink hotel room. Polar was trying out the cold tap in the bathroom, causing a mini ice age when she froze the water, and Ella was having a snowball fight in there with Zytha. Well, Ella was chucking ice at the unfortunate bug who was flitting around trying to dodge it.

"Yes, for the squillionth time! I am part Water type!" I cuffed Inferno's head and he tried to dodge it, but was just too slow.

"Yeah!" we all looked round at Lucky, who was sitting on top of a squashed Blitz eating the spicy Pokefood. His triumphant expression made us laugh stupidly.

"Someone help me..." Blitz' muffled voice floated over to us, only making me, Brad and Inferno laugh harder.

"Try poking him with one of your horns!" Inferno called over, still laughing. An evil chuckle from underneath the fox made us all grin in anticipation.

PRANG.

"EEEK!" Lucky squealed, flying into the bathroom and landing on top of Ella. A growl sounded from the electric kitten.

"Not again," was the high pitched mutter we heard before the open bathroom door became outlined in yellow, and Lucky flew out of it, now frazzled and dishevelled as well as bleeding from one of his tails.

He scowled at Blitz, flipped his middle claw at the bathroom (from which evil cackles were heard), and then ran up to me, expecting me to groom him again.

Roger's face was bright red with laughter and he was gasping for breath, looking as if he was about to pass out.

"What just happened?" everyone turned to face Danny and Sandy who were surveying the scene with bewilderment. Roger just doubled up again laughing, and Ella trotted out of the bathroom with her tail sparking occasionally. Lucky glowered at her and pressed himself a bit closer to me.

"Who wants to see the snowman?" she asked innocently, her usual evil grin plastered all over her blue face. Polar then called out of the bathroom.

"If she's asking you to see the 'snowman', then don't bother. It's only Zyth frozen solid." Danny jumped up from the couch with an 'Erk!', and ran into the bathroom with a thawing spray at the ready.

"Ah, I'll always remember Fuchsia," Blitz sighed, leaning against a chair with the empty bowl in front of her.

Inferno clambered onto the chair and sat there, staring at the wall.

"Yeah, it's strange how many things happened here; like when you nearly got eaten by the Muk in Koga's!" Inferno laughed to Blitz. Blitz scowled.

"That wasn't funny! It swamped me! The only way I got free of it was when I used fire spin inside it, and that hurt me a lot too!" Lucky, ever forgiving, neatly leapt over to her and nuzzled her.

"I had it worse with the Ariados, he kept firing poison pins at me. My tails stung like anything for the rest of the afternoon," said Lucky, curling up into a black furry ball next to Blitz. Soon we heard contented snores coming from him.

"I wish I could fall asleep that fast," I said enviously, as Blitz prodded Lucky on his stomach. The only response she got was a soft growl.

"You don't fall asleep fast, but you're the heaviest sleeper I ever knew. We got Ella to electrocute you lightly and you only turned over to face Brad!" said Inferno, making me blush behind my fur. I had wondered why I had woken up to find myself snuggled up to the Charizard last night.

"She always was like that! She slept through a fire alarm at college once, so I had to bite her arm!" Blitz piped up, and Sandy shook her head and leaned back into the pink cushions on her sofa.

"Sometimes I wonder what you're all talking about, then I decide I don't want to know." Sandy muttered, and Roger sat on the sofa next to her.

"Meh, it's better you don't know what we're saying. It means that we can insult you all we like, and you won't have a clue!" Roger said cheerily, and Sandy eyed him suspiciously.

"Roger's right! I mean, I could call her a fish slapping daughter-of-a-bitch mother fucker if I liked to, and she wouldn't know nothing!" Polar called from the bathroom, and we all cracked up laughing. Sandy's eyes narrowed.

"I'll assume that that was a compliment." she said icily, sending us into fresh sobs of laughter. Brad accidentally set the curtain on fire with his tail, and I quickly put it out with a water gun.

"Daft lizard," I said up at him, and he grinned back sheepishly.

"I'm a nice daft lizard, though." I nuzzled his neck in agreement.

"Ahh, cute." Brad spat a few flames at the bitchy seal, who squawked and waddled backwards. She smirked at us from a safe distance.

"I only said that you were cute, why would that be--" she was cut off mid-simper by a certain kitten holding a Pokeball in her mouth.

"Bye bye, Polar!" she said innocently, the red beam disappearing into the button on the ball. Immediately Ella dropped it and hopped up to Roger.

Brad growled and kicked the ball containing Polar savagely, so that it hit Zytha on the knee. The Scyther looked up emotionlessly.

"Why does Bradley kick the Pokeball at Zytha?" he asked dully, and Brad shrugged his shoulders.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to kick it at you. I just kicked it..." he trailed off lamely, and I snorted and lightly trod on his foot.

"Hey!" he said, giving me a noogie in return. Zytha stared at us.

"Why are Bradley and Amber so happy?" Brad stared at the bug like he was insane (which he probably was, considering the insane-ness of our current group), and spoke.

"We're happy because we don't have anything to be sad about. We're happy because we're all in a warm hotel room while outside it's pouring with rain. And we're happy because we've got each other." I grinned at Zytha and put my head on Brad's shoulder. He pulled his other arm round to hug me properly, and we both looked at Zytha. I blinked.

"Where's Zytha gone?" I asked in amazement, looking at the wall which the Scyther had been standing in front of about a millisecond ago.

"Huh? Danny, do you know why Zytha just returned himself?" Sandy said in bewilderment, holding a Pokeball. Danny, next to her, shrugged.

"I dunno. Where's Ella?" Danny answered, and we heard a flush from the bathroom. Lucky burst through the bathroom door, laughing his tails off, followed by a bedraggled, wet, sparking kitten. She growled in rage and shook herself.

"If you were going to drown me, why couldn't you have done the job properly and not just cause me moderate pain? Arse-hole," grumped Ella, stomping over to Roger and curling into a ball at his feet, sulking.

I looked at Brad, who stared back, and then blew flames in my face. I growled at the smirking dragon.

"I would fire water at you, but that would hurt you, so I'm going to do this instead." I said, watching with interest the change in his expression when I patted the scar on his face.

"What happened to make you get this?" I asked, tracing the thick lines down his face with my paw. When I pulled it away it was wet.

"Ah, I'm sorry," I said, hugging him back. Blitz watched. A Pokeball-ish noise came from Sandy.

"You cry a lot, don't you?" a familiar bitchy voice asked, before a snarl and a squeal ensured us that Blitz had Polar well under control.

All the same, I could tell what she meant, I thought as I felt the back of my neck becoming steadily wetter. I sighed and patted Brad's back.

What with bitchy seals, mentally unstable foxes, emotionally unstable dragons, and a kitten who wants to die, it's surprising that I've not gone mad.

**AN: Argh, please forgive me for making such a filler chapter!! Anyway, it wasn't such a filler, as you'll find out in the next chapter ^^  
Sorry once again for the delay!! :(**


	40. Of Prats and Volcanoes

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 40**

**AN: Woop, nearly 50 chapters of story-ness! (well, not really, but I'm an optimist ^^) A big thank you and hug to all who have reviewed or read this story, and now let the fortieth chapter begin! ~vanishes in a puff of orange smoke~**

"Welcome to the fortieth annual Fuchsia Water Tournament, and I hope you have all been training hard for this year's competition!" Fuchsia City was transformed; everywhere you looked there were banners or posters showing the same emblem; a fuchsia flower with three water drops on each petal. There were also stalls everywhere; some selling water themed trinkets, some clothing... there was even a stall selling Water Pokemon.

I scanned the tourist-packed streets and laughed when I saw it. The classic Magikarp salesman conning more stupid people into buying a nearly worthless Pokemon.

"What's with the Fire Pokemon? This is a Water tournament, moron," an old fat woman chortled, waddling past us haughtily. I fired a water gun at her head, and she whirled on us, outraged.

"Who did that?!" she snapped, glaring at everyone in turn before she made a camel-like noise and stalked off, her sopping hat dripping down the back of her dress. Brad laughed and patted me on my head.

"I think we should go back into our Pokeballs, I don't like getting weird looks," Inferno said uncomfortably, pressing the button on his Pokeball and materializing inside. Danny nodded.

"Yeah, I think we'd do better if you all went inside guys," he said apologetically, returning everyone and climbing astride my back.

"Oi, lazy. I won't be able to get you anywhere very fast because of the crowds, so why do you have to sit on me?" I stopped when he scratched me behind an ear, and moaned as my annoyance faded away. Why does an ear scratch make everything in life better?

"Meh, I'm just lazy," Danny said dismissively, and I walked forward with Sandy beside me.

"Can I look at the stalls for a minute? I won't be long," Sandy said, eyeing the Water Pokemon stall. Danny shrugged, and the girl zipped off, coming back almost immediately with a huge grin plastered all over her face and a Dive Ball in her hands.

"What is it?" I asked, Danny translating for me. Sandy grinned and put the ball into the Packrat.

"You'll see in the tournament," she said happily, winking and making herself look scary for a second. I shook my head and trotted towards the big blue stadium (the only permanently blue thing in the whole of Fuchsia!), where we'd learn who was battling who and when in the tournament.

~_~_~_~_~

Professor Plamenu didn't like the look of the dark clouds above the volcano. The sky was very dark, a sign of something strange going on, as it was mid-afternoon and Cinnabar had a permanent tropical climate.

"Ruby, come here a minute," he called suspiciously, and a Rapidash trotted up to him and looked out of the window. She whinnied in fear and nervously pawed at the Professor's foot.

"Ruby, what is it? What's wrong with the vol..." Professor Plamenu went white with fear, and his hands dropped limply from the windowsill to his sides.

"...cano..." he whispered, steadying himself on Ruby. The Rapidash's keen red eyes searched through the dark cloud of ash and saw a moving spark, something which caused her to breath a faint sigh of uncertain relief.

If the Guardian of the volcano was here, then surely she would prevent the disaster which might follow...

~_~_~_~_~_~

"But what's wrong with it?! This shouldn't be happening; we defeated Mewtwo!" Moltres screeched, flapping her fiery wings frantically and clearing the air from smoke for the terrified Fire Pokemon. The Typhlosion spoke in his deep voice, calm as ever.

"We do not know; we have not been able to regulate the volcano's power as we should. Perhaps this is Entei's doing? After all, he had proven his mythical gift already in the erupting of Mt. Chimney," Moltres shook her head, almost laughing.

"No, Vulkan. Entei helped us kick Mewtwo's butt, so he wouldn't do anything like this!" a tiny Numel piped up bravely.

"How do you know you killed Mewtwo? He could still be alive and controlling the volcano!" Moltres screamed in hysteria, her rage and confusion only fuelling the volcano's wrath. The Numel shrank back, white as a sheet.

"I SAW HIM DIE, YOU PRAWN!" she yelled, her voice cracking as her throat almost ripped. Vulkan the Typhlosion sighed and rubbed his head, the flames around his neck flickering down to a tiny flare.

"We shouldn't fight," he breathed, before he fell onto his front, his collar of fire extinguished by his loss of will to live. Moltres screamed again, screaming to the darkness over the volcano before she flew away, leaving behind a group of frightened, bewildered and angry Pokemon.

As she flew away, she shed bitter tears.

"It's my fault the Keeper of the volcano died, it's my fault that the volcano's erupting, it's all my fault," she said, over and over again to herself as she vanished into the distance along with the volcano dwellers' hope.

And deep in the heart of the volcano, something stirred.

In the smoke and confusion, no one noticed the dark shape trudging through the smoke towards them. Only the Numel did, and he quickly alerted the others to its presence.

"Who are you?" a Ninetales asked in awe, before covering a cough from the smoke. The large red dragon stepped out of the smoke, looking calmly down at the distressed Fire Pokemon, before speaking.

"I am Ryuu," the Charizard said, in a clear, sweet voice. "I know who is doing this to us, and how to stop it. I also know how long it will take for the volcano spirit to fully erupt and kill the island." the Pokemon stared in awe.

"How long will it take?" a Camerupt asked, tearfully.

"A week." Ryuu said, raising her paws to stop the babble of voices which had broken out.

"But we need to find someone. A Pokemon who will help us, and who is capable of destroying the volcano's power. I know who and where this Pokemon is." she continued, beckoning to the Numel and the Ninetales.

"You will come with me to find this Pokemon. Everyone else, do your best to settle the volcano." the Ninetales and the Numel climbed onto Ryuu's back, and she flew through the volcano and out of the crater, going north.

"Where are we going?" the Numel asked chirpily, as the Ninetales hid her face from the ocean below.

"To the city of flowers," Ryuu replied calmly.

~_~_~_~_~

**Amber's POV**

"_Name: Daniel, Leon, Davidson. Occupation: Trainer. Age: 19. Badges: 2. Pokemon: Arcanine, Houndoom, Charizard, Ninetales, Magmar."_ the receptionist frowned at Danny.

"This is a Water Pokemon show, not a Fire Pokemon show." Danny grinned and handed her the slip which the Professor signed. The receptionist grabbed Danny's Pokedex and pointed it at me.

"_Name: Amber. Specie: Arcanine. Type(s): Fire, Water."_ the receptionist handed Danny his Pokedex and wordlessly put his battle details onto the screen in front of us.

"Whoa. He's still here?" Danny spluttered, looking at the picture of our opposition in distaste.

"S'pose he couldn't bear not to show everyone how great his Pokemon are," I growled, flexing my claws and glaring at the picture. Sandy stared at us.

"O...kay? Would you mind telling me who he is?" Danny looked her solemnly in the eye.

"Postman Prat."

**AN: Harhar, the plot thickens... ^^ and remember, that little button down there is getting lonely... and Ella's sharpening her claws... : )**


	41. The FourtyFirst Chapter

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 41**

**AN: THE VOLCANO STUFF WAS NOT WORTHLESS. Seriously, you'll be glad you read it later ;D**

I was bored. I was excited. Put those emotions together and you get the world's worst Arcanine to be around.  
I was in my Pokeball, after Danny had said he wanted to surprise Percy. So, I had no idea when I would be called out to do battle, but I was sick of staring at the same red couch, fireplace, and flame-patterned rug.

I sighed and gave way to instincts, and found myself at the door, whining and scratching to be let out. I mentally kicked myself.

Suddenly the door flew open, bringing with it the usual suction. I heard a smug voice call from outside.

"Percy, I'm sure you know her very well by now, so I'm not going to introduce you." I ran out of the door and materialized on a floating platform. The water all around me was a very deep, dark blue, and matched the dark purple shade on Percy's face surprisingly well.

"Well, it looks like Daniel has chosen to send out his Arcanine! Now we all know that Arcanine are Fire type, but Daniel claims that Amber is also part Water type. We'll soon find out!"

Percy growled and threw a blue Pokeball into the air.

"Go, Penelope!" with a flash of purple light, a Vaporeon appeared on the other platform. It gave me a cold, slightly surprised stare.

"One on one, no items, no time limit. Begin now!" the Vaporeon dived into the water, and I watched it disappear into the depths. I gritted my teeth. They can mould their genetic structure to _become_ water, so I wasn't going to be able to see it.

"Amber, do what you think is best!" Danny called. I backed up to the edge of the platform, took a running leap and landed with a splash in the water.

Immediately my eyes filled with water, so I closed them instinctively and used my ears instead. I swam doggy-paddle deeper underwater, hoping that because of my Water type-ness, I would be able to breathe underwater. I succeeded, and suddenly I heard a faint rippling sound coming from my right.

I opened my eyes and heaved myself out of the way of the jet of icy water which had been fired from the irrepressible Vaporeon, who glared at me before vanishing again.

I growled, not noticing that I didn't need to blink anymore, and stared down at the green floor of the pool. Water won't do anything against something that _is _water, and fire would just be extinguished...

My eyes widened. That's it!

~_~_~_~_~_~

Danny, Percy and the rest of the audience were silent. Even the MC was just staring into the pool, not knowing what was going on. Then a faint glow seemed to appear from underwater.

"What the...?" Danny murmured to himself, leaning further over the pool to try and see the orange glow which was getting clearer every second. Then the water started bubbling as the glow spread over the pool.

Danny's mouth hung open and he fumbled with his Pokeballs, finally finding the one he wanted and opening it.

Brad appeared and looked around, startled.

"What is it? Where's Amber?" he asked, flummoxed, before Danny climbed onto the Charizard's back and told him to fly high above the pool.

BOOM.

~_~_~_~_~_~

The water around me imploded; sending the contents of the pool into the sky. Including Penelope. And me.

"AAAAAGH!!" I yelled, soaring in a big arc in the sky before landing on something warm, which said, "Ow!"

"Why are you always in the right place at the right time?" I asked Brad, who shrugged and smirked, shifting me from his shoulder to his arms.

"Rescuing you is just another excuse to give you a cuddle!" Danny grinned and pointed Brad in the direction of our side of the battle pool, which was starting to fill with water again.

"EEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!" Penelope screamed as she flew back into the pool. She growled as she crawled back onto her platform.

"For the record, what did you do under water?" Danny asked, confused. I laughed.

"I just used overheat and the water exploded. Oh, and I can breathe underwater." I added, swimming back to my platform and, once back on the yellow thing, shook myself so that my fur stood on end. I heard a spluttering of laughter from behind me, but didn't care.

"Having fun?" I called to Penelope with a sweet smile. She glared at me and hissed something.

"Penelope, ice beam!" the ice rocketed from the Vaporeon's mouth.

"Tail whip and overheat!" I concentrated on my tail before I whipped the ice with my tail, smacking it to pieces at the same time as melting it.

"Now, grab it and use slam!" Penelope shot forward and grabbed my mane in her jaws while I was still in the air, and then whacked me with her tail. I skidded a few feet to the edge of the platform and growled at her. She smirked and waved her tail mockingly in my face.

CHOMP.

The Vaporeon screamed and thrashed around, her tail gripped in my teeth, before I threw her back into the water and dived in after, not bothering to close my eyes.

Penelope's claws were unsheathed and she was propelling herself towards me with her tail, snarling. I tried to bark threateningly but all that came out was a hot bubble.

Penelope laughed and burst the bubble, but made a silent noise of surprise when it scalded her skin. A light flicked in my mind.

I opened my mouth and fired a flamethrower at her, grinning when a jet of scalding, boiling water erupted from my mouth instead. She squealed and fled, and I swam after her, shaking my head around so that the pool heated up to an amazing warmth.

I was in paradise; the water was like a sauna, but I could hear Penelope on one of the platforms shrieking like a banshee from the heat of the water. I swam under her platform, going so deep that my back paws were on the floor, before I rocketed upwards, spiralling and making bubbles swirl with me, swimming faster and faster until I hit the platform, crashing above the water, sending Penelope and the platform flying.

"Fantastic! Even though Arcanine are that much bigger and clumsier than the speedy Vaporeon, it seems that can be to their advantage!" I crawled out of the pool to Danny and Brad and looked over my shoulder at Penelope. She was lying spread-eagled on her front at Percy's feet. The referee took a close look at her, and shouted,

"The winner is Daniel and his Arcanine!" Percy fumed as he returned Penelope, and Danny patted me on the back.

"You were brilliant, Amber! How did you learn giga impact?" I stared at him.

"Oh, the swirly bubbles one underwater! Uh, haven't a clue." I said simply, before shaking myself over him. He scowled as his hair dripped over his face.

"I am not a bath mat." I wiped my paw on his shoe.

"Oh yes you are!" I retorted, before Danny jumped on Brad's back and the Charizard hovered just above the ground. He gave me a look.

"Coming?" I jumped and then trotted after them both, leaving the first round behind.

**AN: ^^ More volcano stuff soon...**


	42. A Volcano, and Some Family Issues

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 42**

**AN: Okay you guys, I'm not dead. Yay! Anyway, this story has become a sort of obsession for me... so please read and review, because I read every review you send in ^^  
Sorry for the delays, but I went a bit lazy for the past few days... that and I have a history essay to do. FOR TOMORROW. So, yeah. But meh, you lot are more important than my history GCSE grades. :)**

Ryuu scanned the ocean below her, her weary wings beating less as she relied on the air currents more and more.

"Um, Ryuu? There's land up ahead," the Ninetales (who was called Nina) said nervously, pointing to the silhouette of a city in the distance. The setting sun was behind it, and the city was a mass of black rectangles on the horizon. Ryuu sighed, and the Numel (Key) looked in confusion at the city.

"Didn't you say, 'city of flowers'?" he asked bemusedly, and Ryuu smiled over her shoulder at him.

"The name, Key. Purely the name. And the colour of course, which in my opinion is disgusting." Key gave her a blank stare, and the Charizard's smile slipped from her face.

"It's Fuchsia City," she prompted, waving her arms. Nina nodded understandingly, but Key just scratched his head nervously.

"Oh, never mind." Ryuu grumped, turning back to the clearer city. The three Pokemon could now make out separate buildings, and could see lights in windows.

"Now, we're heading this way..." Ryuu murmured, beating her wings and flying sideways until she stopped outside a massive dome-shaped building.

"Now, we're looking for-- Bingo!" she cried, cutting off mid-sentence and looking in at a window. The only light in there was a big, flickering light.

"Fire," Nina said, startled, but Ryuu only nodded to her.

"Yes. This is the place, and the Pokemon, we've been looking for."

~_~_~_~_~_~

TAP TAP.

"Brad, what's outside the window?" I stuttered, jolting to my paws and zipping behind the big dragon. He yawned widely and slowly sat up, rubbing his head.

"Amber, what the hell? I thought you wanted to get lots of sleep for tomorrow," he slurred, covering another yawn as I quivered behind him.

TAP TAP.

"Eep!" I squealed, curling into a ball and snuggling into Brad's back. Heh. Very brave. But I like to know who my enemies are. Weird noises at night... they're creepy!

"Who's there?" Brad asked sharply, stepping closer to the window. His claws closed into fists as he got nearer the window.

"Hello?" he said, his face nearly at the glass. I uncurled myself and slowly joined him at the window. He froze, staring at his reflection.

"Brad? Brad, what's wrong?"

"Do I have a Numel and a Ninetales on my back?" he asked slowly, not taking his gaze off his reflection. I shook my head.

"Then why do I there?" he asked, slowly pointing at his reflection. The 'reflection', then tapped the window again. I saw that this Charizard had pale green eyes, unlike Brad's clear bright blue.

"Knock knock," I heard the Charizard outside say softly.

"Who's there," I murmured back, sliding open the window as Brad dazedly walked to the side. All three Pokemon flew in, the Numel staring at Brad and me in clear disappointment.

"Aw. I thought you were going to bring us to Groudon or something," he whined, and the Charizard glared at him. She looked up at Brad, who stared back down with recognition in his eyes.

"R-Ryuu?" he stammered, staring down at the older dragon, who gazed calmly back. I stood beside Brad and nudged his limp arm with my nose.

"You know her, Brad?" I asked, surprised when he nodded slowly without removing his gaze from 'Ryuu'.

"Cyan, of course you know me. Why shouldn't you know your own mother?" The Numel, the Ninetales and me froze, staring at the green eyed Charizard and the considerably larger blue eyed one.

"Your mother?" I asked, then I thought of something. "Then where's your--"

"Gone." Ryuu said sharply. "I got rid of him like I should've done long ago. When I think of the things he put you and Crimson through, I just kick myself." Ryuu sighed, and her right foot twitched. Brad didn't move or blink; he just stayed completely still, staring at his mum.

"So... who are you and why are you here?" I asked the Ninetales, who had been staring at Lucky in the corner. She jumped and looked at me, blushing.

"I'm Nina, the Numel is Key, the Charizard is Ryuu, and we're here to get help." Brad finally broke his stare at Ryuu and faced Nina, who paled completely white.

"Help with what?" he asked, and her face fell.

"The volcano on Cinnabar Island is going to erupt. Moltres couldn't do anything, but Ryuu seemed to know what to do. She said that she knew a Pokemon who could help us with this, but she didn't tell us what it was. She brought us here, though, so it must be one of you," she said, her eyes falling upon Lucky again as she finished. I rolled my eyes as Brad looked back at Ryuu.

"So who's the mystery Pokemon, then?" he asked, glancing at me. Ryuu lifted her hand and pointed with a claw directly in between Brad's eyes.

"You, Cyan. I've always had a weird sixth sense, and I know that you can stop the volcano erupting." I grinned; I knew that if she was related to him then he'd be the obvious 'chosen one'. He stared at her, gob-smacked.

"I'm bringing my trainer and Amber." he sai determinedly. Ryuu raised an eye-scale.

"Will you come if I say no?"

"No."

"Well, then. I guess I can't say no." she said crisply. "Although I'm going to be surprised if you can get your trainer to understand that you need to get to Cinnabar."

"Right, well if we're going there, then let's be off!" Danny cried, pulling a jacket on and returning everyone but me and Brad. Ryuu stared at him.

"Yeah, I can understand Pokemon. Long story. Let's go!" he said, jumping onto Brad's back. I turned to Ryuu after giving Danny a grin.

"My parents live on Cinnabar. My dad's the professor there, and they'll die if we don't do something soon," I said earnestly, and Ryuu gave me a weirded out stare.

"Yeah, I've died twice before. The first time I died was when I was human. Now, we have to stop the volcano erupting!" I said, bouncing back to Brad who looked down at me in bewilderment for a second. Then he grinned.

"What are we waiting for? We've survived a war, so we can survive a volcano!" he said happily, before swooping into the air, grabbing me on the way out and smashing the wall with his wings as he flew out of the window. His wing-span was about thirteen feet, so that wall was now in matchsticks.

"Well, _Cyan_, do you know where Cinnabar is?" I asked from his arms, and he gave me a squeeze.

"No idea!" he said pleasantly, only flying faster away from the sunset and over the water.

Ryuu soon caught up with us and flew alongside, looking at me in worry.

"Don't drop her, Cyan!" she called anxiously, and I laughed as Brad pretended to drop and then catch me again.

"I'll survive! I survived two deaths; what's a bit of water?" I yelled through my laughter, and Danny stared over Brad's shoulder at me. Meh, I was getting a bit cocky, but once in a while you're allowed to, I think.

"What's so funny?" he inquired curiously, and then Brad burst out laughing too. Ah, the simple joy of laughing at nothing.

**AN: SORRY FOR THE DELAY!!! And also, just in case you want to know, my teacher forgot about my essay XD So, I got to spend more time on this, but now I've only done two paragraphs of it -_-  
Thank you to all men, women and alien beings who have at least read the description of this story, and keep reading and reviewing! Because Ryuu knows dragon breath... ;)**


	43. Legendaries, Cinnabar, and Memory Loss

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 43**

**AN: I'm sorry about the non-update-ness, but ****my teachers think that giving us Geography and RS essays to do in the same week is fair. I DISAGREE.  
Anyway, enjoy the story! ^^**

Mewtwo floated in darkness, in the 'prison' which Mew and Dialga had created originally to contain Giratina after his nasty incident. The bruises and cuts and injuries that Mewtwo had sustained after the war had healed due to his extremely powerful recover.

The Genetic Pokemon's arms and legs were crossed, and his eyes closed; after all, he needed to channel all of his concentration into Cinnabar Island now that Reggie was gone.

Then he sensed a presence other than his own in the dark world, and opened his eyes. A glow of pink and a glow of red made him unfold his limbs and float in a standing position, staring down at Mew and Moltres.

"Mewtwo, answer this truthfully, or I will just search your memories anyway. Are you causing the volcano on Cinnabar to erupt?" she spoke calmly, unlike the shuddering bird beside her who still had tear tracks staining the feathers around her eyes. It appeared to the purple feline that Mew hadn't told Moltres about the fact that her 'baby brother' had in fact survived.

Mewtwo stared with contempt at his captor.

"Yes. Yes, I am." Mew looked astonished for a moment before Mewtwo unleashed the stored concentration in a huge blue explosion, catching smaller pink feline off guard and sending her whizzing away through the darkness, followed closely by Moltres, both screaming in pain as Mewtwo's psychic energy fried their skin and flung them like rubbish.

Mewtwo hurriedly searched with his white front paws for the small gap in space which Mew entered and exited the Prison Dimension through, and smiled when his right paw disappeared seemingly into thin air. He squeezed his other paw through as well, and pulled his arms to the sides, stretching the gap until it could accommodate his whole body, watching the bright light pour through with relish. He stood there for a minute, mourning the lost psychic energy which would have been used to erupt the volcano for good, but then shrugged and leapt neatly through.

After all, no use crying over spilt lava, he thought, grinning, as the spatial rip sealed.

~_~_~_~_~_~

The lilac-haired girl sighed as she trudged on along the dusty path. The Riolu on her shoulder shifted uncomfortably; they both had been hiking for days and hadn't even got half-way up Mount Coronet yet. Suddenly the Riolu jumped up, staring at something in a pile of boulders.

"Aira, there's something there," he chirped, pointing with a forepaw at the boulders. His trainer's pink-eyed gaze followed his paw and saw what her Pokemon had; blood.

"Ugh..." something groaned under the rocks, and what looked like a boulder slowly heaved itself up, spilling dust and dirt off itself to reveal a dirty blue rock-like thing. Then it collapsed again with a grunt, making the remaining dust fly off in a great cloud and the path shake with its weight.

Aira's tired legs protested as she ran up to the boulders, heaving them away from around the blue shell. Her Riolu broke the remaining boulder in half with some powerful kicks, and both girl and Pokemon gasped when they saw the 'rock'.

It was a Blastoise. A huge Blastoise with two gaping holes in the middle of his forehead, like another Pokemon had bitten right into its skull. The face around the holes was purple due to the dried blood and bruises that covered it, and the gigantean turtle's eyes were dull and unfocused as they stared at Aira and her Riolu. Both could see plainly that its right arm was missing and lying some way away from them; and the hole in the shell where the arm should have been was still pouring with blood.

"Wh-who are y-you? Wh-who am I?" it coughed, its dull eyes watering from the pain in its throat. Then, before the shocked girl's and Riolu's eyes, it hacked up a mixture of what looked like blood and burnt skin.

"I'm sorry, but Pokeball, go!" Aira choked, flinging the said ball which immediately pinged after catching the Blastoise. She gave it a shocked glance for a minute before she put it on her belt and opened another.

"I sense that we must go to the nearest Pokemon Centre, Aira." the Xatu said calmly in its telepathic female voice once it had appeared from its Pokeball. Aira scrambled onto its back with the Riolu.

"Yes please, Skye! And don't fall off again, Aura, it's really frustrating!"

~_~_~_~_~_~

I yawned and looked at the foggy landscape around me, before I shook my head and looked around again. In the distance I could see smoke.

Then I realised what had woken me up, and my ears twitched in annoyance at the insistent bleeping of Danny's phone. Brad was trying to wake Danny up and at the same time carry on flying.

"You've been out for ages," Brad said with a tired grin, looked down at me. I yawned again and gave him an apologetic look.

"Zmmm... agh!" Danny yelped, mid-snore, and hurriedly answered his phone. An angry torrent of nonsense spewed from it, and Danny talked back reassuringly.

"I'm fine, Sandy, just leave it! Oh, we're about halfway to Cinnabar Island. ...yess, I'm on Brad's back, and there's another Charizard in front of us which has a Ninetales and a Numel on its back. ...umm, see you?" Danny finished weakly, hanging up and staring at his phone.

"How's Sandy gonna get here?" he asked no one, as I peered down at the water below. It was sparkling in the morning light; the yellow morning sun just peeping over the horrible black smoke on the horizon. I realised that Brad had been flying all night, and immediately felt mean, even though I had no wings and couldn't transport him anyway.

"Brad, do you want to take a rest?" Danny asked as Brad yawned widely. He shook his head as he finished his yawn and then spoke.

"I'm fine, honestly!" he insisted, craning his head around to smile at Danny. It was a shame that Danny saw the dark circles under his bloodshot eyes.

"Right, put Amber in the ocean, then put me on her back." Danny said, and Ryuu stopped mid-flight and looked at Danny like he was crazy.

"Are you crazy?" she asked, confirming my suspicions of _her_ suspicions, "she'll die!" Brad was already flying lower though, and all three of us completely ignored Ryuu's squawkings. I brushed the cool water with my paws, and slid into it, floating there while Danny was sliding off Brad's back onto mine.

"You'll get slightly wet, I'm afraid," I said ruefully, craning my head around at Danny. He rolled his eyes; his legs were underwater.

"Do you want to stay out of your Ball, Brad?" Danny yelled up to the Charizard who was hovering above. He grinned sheepishly.

"Yeah, if that's okay," the Pokeball claimed him and Ryuu stared in shock at me, her two companions doing the same.

"Cooool..." Key said, staring at me like a Magikarp. Then Ryuu shifted her gaze to behind us and frowned.

"There's something big and orange flying in our general direction," she said slowly, not sure whether to fly for it or not. I turned around in the water and gasped happily.

"Of course!" I said, mentally facepalming myself. Danny didn't bother though, and just waved from my back.

"Hey Sandy! We're over here!" Roger slowed his flight and hovered just above and in front of us, looking with mild confusion at Ryuu, Nina and Key. Sandy glowered at Danny.

"Why the hell are you going back to Cinnabar?! Don't you know that the volcano's erupting?!" I growled impatiently and started to swim towards Cinnabar. Roger and Ryuu flew above, their passengers gawping at me, looking at the cloud of smoke and giving Danny evils.

"If we have anything to do with it, the volcano won't be erupting any time soon." Danny said determinedly. "Amber, can you swim faster? You're going at a Magcargo's pace." I grinned evilly to myself and shot underwater, swimming as fast as I could. Then I resurfaced, Danny coughing and spluttering and completely soaked through. I smiled innocently at him.

"Well, you said to go faster!"

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"Phew, made it!" I panted, dragging myself out of the sea and promptly collapsing on the wet sand of Cinnabar Island. Danny climbed off me, shook himself and opened a Pokeball.

"I know you won't mind doing this, but can you carry her?" I felt myself being picked up and I opened my eyes.

"You know, this seems to be happening a lot lately." Brad said with a grin, oblivious to the hissing coming from his skin where my wet fur touched him. Roger rolled his eyes and Sandy turned to Danny questioningly. Then...

"Er... can I ask what the hell just happened?"

**AN: Ooh, different perspectives there! Mewtwo's back, someone's wondering why a load of Pokemon and people have crashed on their beach, and a certain Blastoise appears to have lost his memory...**

**Also, thank you very much for reading, but please please PLEASE review if you already haven't. In all seriousness, I read every review I get, and all of them make me happy! ^^**


	44. Paranoid Pidgeot and The Volcano

**Playing With Fire: Chap. 44**

**AN: I haven't updated for so long because I am a lazy shit. -_- Anyways, enjoy the story!! :)**

Everyone's heads turned in a dramatic, slow-mo type way to see... a GIRL.

She had green, wavy hair, blue eyes, and was wearing a blue tank top, black cargo trousers, a grey cap and grey belt, and an amazed expression. A Pidgeot stood on one side of her, looking paranoid, and a bright red Raichu stood on her other side, looking bored.

"Erm, we just came from Fuchsia..?" the way Danny said it, it sounded like he was asking her. She cocked an eyebrow.

"Nuh-uh. Your Arcanine just dragged herself out of the _ocean._ Get it? _An Arcanine should not be able to do that._" I rolled my eyes.

"Yeah, well, I just did. So go and... do something stupid." I yawned, the long swim taking its toll on my brain. Suddenly the Raichu snapped to attention, looking extremely pissed.

"Oh no. You did NOT just say that! To MY trainer!" He growled, electricity sparking from his yellow cheeks and tail. I suddenly found myself wondering whether he could use that thing as a tazer.

"Calm down, Red!" the girl cried, hurriedly shoving a Pokeblock in front of him. He stopped sparking immediately and attacked it.

"Err... my name's Danny, and this is Sandy," Danny said awkwardly, walking forwards and gesturing to Sandy. She smiled and waved equally awkwardly.

"Sorry about before. My name's Arizona Roxon, and this is Pecha and Red." the strange girl took out another Pokeball and opened it, expelling a Buizel onto the ground.

"And this is Blake." Arizona said, watching the Buizel look around.

"FREEEEEEE!!" he shrieked, running in circles until Pecha the Pidgeot kicked him, sending him sprawling into the sand.

"Calm down. Stop attention-seeking, and stand still." she chirped in a motherly voice. Blake stood up, his head hanging ashamedly.

"Yes Pecha." he mumbled. Pecha nodded happily.

"Do you own all these Pokemon?" she asked, gesturing to Ryuu, Nina and Key.

"Hell, no!" Danny and Ryuu said simultaneously. They laughed.

"Ah. I was wondering why someone would need so many Fire Pokemon," she said matter of factly. Sandy rolled her eyes.

"Would you like to be introduced to our Pokemon?" she asked sarcastically. Arizona nodded, the sarcasm utterly wasted on her.

"Yes please!" Sandy rolled her eyes again and opened the three other Pokeballs on her belt.

"Where the fuck are we?" Ella asked sweetly, while Polar decided to have a nap on Roger's foot and Zytha generally ignored us.

"This is Ella," Sandy said, pointing at the electric kitten. She grinned at Arizona cutely.

"Bite me."

"This is Zytha," continued Sandy, as the Scyther yawned widely. She then pointed at the sleeping Sealeo.

"This is Polar, my starter, and this is Roger," she finished, pointing at the Dragonite who was clutching his foot and glaring at Polar.

"What about your Pokemon?" Arizona asked Danny, but Ryuu cut in.

"You do know that the volcano's going to blow any minute now? You need to help us!" she said exasperatedly. Ella looked up at the volcano and whistled at the smoke.

"Err, I think I'll leave this to you Fire types," she said, nosing her Pokeball and materializing inside. Sandy returned everyone except Roger, who obligingly let her climb onto his back.

"How are you not tired?" Brad asked incredulously. Roger shrugged.

"I've had more practice flying than you. Also, I'm a Dragonite. We can make a circuit of the globe in less than sixteen hours if we want to," he said dismissively. Arizona looked puzzled.

"What's going on?"

"We need to go. Bye!" Danny said, jumping onto Brad's back as he hovered above the ground. Ryuu impatiently flew towards the volcano and Brad and Roger hurriedly followed.

"Where are you going?" a familiar voice asked, and I turned around to see Arizona riding Pecha, who was flying just behind us. I heard a mumbled 'oh shit' from Danny.

"We're going to the volcano," Sandy called over her shoulder at the irrepressible teenager. She gasped loudly.

"But it's going to blow up any day now! I was going to the beach to set off for Pallet Town on Pecha!" Arizona yelled, continuing to fly after us.

"Well, we're going to stop it, so unless you want to end up as a pile of soot you'd better get out of here!" Danny shouted at her, urging Brad to fly faster away from Arizona. I blinked, and suddenly Pecha was right beside me. I growled as the Pidgeot gave me a smug smile.

"We're coming to help you, then." Arizona said determinedly. I glanced at her and saw that her face was set stubbornly. Ryuu sighed.

"Leave it; it doesn't matter if she tags along. Just so long as you come to help, then I don't care." Danny rolled his eyes and turned back to Arizona.

"Alright. But if you burn up then it's your fault." he said resignedly, and the girl punched the air happily.

"By the way, how old is she?" I asked Pecha.

"16. I'm her starter; we're travelling Kanto for Gym badges. We've got the Cinnabar badge, the Fuchsia badge, and the Lavender Town badge now, so we were going to the mainland to get the rest. Also, none of us really like the idea of lava flowing through the streets and incinerating everything it meets." she chirped, before whistling at the amount of smoke billowing out of the volcano.

"Right, land now!" Ryuu shouted from the front, the smoke making it hard to see. Danny, Sandy, Arizona and Pecha started coughing as we touched down and Ryuu raised her voice.

"Just keep walking forwards until you can see clearly!" Brad put me on the ground and everyone obeyed Ryuu, not talking but trying to see through the thick black smoke. Soon I couldn't see where I was going, but I couldn't smell the smoke as clearly as before, and then I saw a red light.

We were all walking through a dark tunnel, and the red light appeared to be fire, dancing on the walls nearest the opening. I saw Ryuu enter ahead with Nina and Key, followed by Roger and Sandy, then by Brad and me. I whistled.

"You'd never guess it was this big from the outside, would you?" I said, looked around the huge cavern. It was about as big as an average cathedral, with stalactites and stalagmites hanging from the ceiling and protruding from the floor. The light from the entrance was coming from the massive vat of lava bubbling in the center of the volcano, around which a lot of Pokemon were clustered.

"Ryuu! Did you find the Pokemon?" a Camerupt snorted, lumbering to us and surveying Ryuu with admiration.

"Yep, and an Arcanine that can _swim_!" Key piped up, drawing the Camerupt's gaze to me.

"Hey, I'm not the 'chosen one' who's come to save the volcano, even if I'm going to help. It's him you want," I said, nodding at Brad. He threw up his hands in annoyance.

"I don't even know why I'm here, other than my mum thinks I can save this place!" the Camerupt's eyebrows went up.

"Ryuu's your mother?" Brad nodded and the Camerupt turned back to the said female Charizard.

"Ryuu, you'd better know what to do. When you didn't come back for a few days, we got Ronan here to see if a psychic force was interfering with the tectonics of Cinnabar Island." the Camerupt (I think it was a female) was interrupted by a nasal, bossy sort of voice like you'd expect from a scientist with adenoids.

"Yesh, and oi've found a lot of thingsh out from the tectonicsh of Shinnabar Oisland. There appearsh to be shome short of shignal coming from the mainland, and it'sh ekshtremely powerful." a Grumpig snorted, bustling up. I half expected for him to adjust his glasses on his snout as Ryuu answered.

"That's good, Ronan. Is it... legendary standard?" 'Ronan' jumped and looked up at her with wide eyes. He groped for a minute on his snout, as if trying to straighten some imaginary glasses, but probably realised how retarded he looked.

"Oh yesh, it'sh definitly legendary shtandard! I would shay... maybe Mewtwo? But oi heard he died in a battle with Mew," I inhaled sharply, partly because the Grumpig's annoying voice was _really_ getting to me, but mostly because Mewtwo might still be alive. And at large, apparently.

"Thank you, Ronan, but how long do we have?" now it was Ronan's turn to inhale sharply, but he made a stupid whistling noise as he did like a balloon being released. Yep, adenoids.

"Let'sh shee... erm... ash the Orange Oislandsh plate ish going to colloide with the Kanto/Shinnabar plate... maybe a day? If you're luckay, moight oi add," he added, giving a nervous grin and revealing two prominent buck teeth. Danny snorted with laughter and quickly clamped his mouth over his hand and silently twitched, shoulders shaking.

"Right, we've got to move then. Danny and Sandy, and new girl, and Pecha, I think you should leave while you can. The rest of us are Fire types; we're born in volcanoes." Roger coughed. Ryuu rolled her eyes. "And Dragonite aren't affected by fire very much." Roger smiled and Ryuu turned back to the waiting people and Pidgeot.

"Go!" they went, Arizona with an 'Eep!'.

Ryuu faced us and rubbed her claws together before smiling like a criminal mastermind.

"Right, let's get cracking!"

**AN: Sorry about this, but please don't expect fast updates for this story or AA, because I just can't do them quickly. :( But don't worry, both stories are still going!**


	45. Farewell and a White Christmas

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 45**

**AN: I am now going to reel off some fanfics which I've followed for ages, and LOVE.**

**-'Unseen, Unheard, Unfelt' by Silver_Leafx**

**-'Living in the Moment' by XoXfirebirdXoX**

**-'Belief at Dawn' by **

**I follow more fics, but I can't be bothered to list them all at the moment. -_- Let's just get on with the show, shall we? ^^**

Ryuu whisked off towards the cluster of Pokemon at the center of the cavern, me, Brad, Nina, Key, Roger, Ronan and the Camerupt hurrying after her. She ignored the questions thrown at her by the other Pokemon and bustled through them to the middle, where a huge vat of lava was bubbling and spitting ferociously.

"This is worse than before," Ryuu mumbled, before turning back to the Grumpig.

"Ronan, how are the Slugma doing in there?" Ronan sighed, making a squeaky noise.

"They jasht couldn't shtand the heat. If we got a Pokemon in there that wash big enough, then itsh energay would boi ushed to shtill the lava. Thish goesh againsht the fact that the platesh have colloided, but Groudon akchually coime here whoile you were gone and ish shorting that out roight now!" he said, scratching the side of his snout awkwardly. Ryuu's eyes widened for a minute, and Key froze.

"_Groudon _was here?! Aw, man!!" whined the Numel, stomping the floor in annoyance. Brad looked thoughtful.

"What would happen to that Pokemon?" he asked slowly.

"What Pokemon?" Ronan snorted, blinking up at the Charizard with mud coloured eyes. Brad rolled his blue ones.

"The Pokemon that would use its energy to still the volcano." Brad said impatiently. Ronan's eyes bulged as he understood.

"Ah! Well, erm, it would doi. Mosht loiklay." Brad nodded and looked back at The Pit Of Lava. I growled and nudged his side.

"Don't even think about it, daft lizard." Brad gave me an apologetic look and hovered in the air.

"WHAT?!" Ryuu shrieked, making a grab for Brad's foot. Brad easily lifted her off the ground, before shaking her back into the dust. She landed on her arse and stared up at him in anguish.

"Sorry, but you said it yourself. I'm the biggest Pokemon here, so I'm going to have to do it." and he promptly dropped into the vicious red liquid. I blinked. Then I screamed and regained the use of my legs, dashing to the side of the pool. My eyes scanned the bubbling lava, looking for Brad, before I yelped and backed away a step. The pool was glowing bright blue, like water.

I choked, not noticing the rush of air beside me and the splash as someone else dived into the lava.

Suddenly a huge gasp and a thud beside me made me open my eyes, and I saw Brad sitting up and coughing lava out of his system.

"What the hell happened," he growled, standing up and glaring around. He impatiently pushed me away when I tried to hug him, and continued to look at each Pokemon in turn. The lava was now a royal purple colour, and was pulsing with a soft glow. Brad's eyes grew wider.

"Where's Roger?" he asked faintly, as the glow faded. The lava returned to its normal red colour, except it was still and calm. Then, with a small 'ploop', a familiar orange shape floated on the top of the still lava.

For a moment there was silence as we all stared in disbelief at the body of the Dragonite, before Nina, who couldn't see what everyone was staring at, spoke.

"You know, I thought it would be a bit more dramatic than that." and of course, it was at that moment that there was a huge, muffled boom and a crack spread across the stalactites on the roof above.

"Oh crud," she whispered, trying and failing to tuck all nine of her tails between her legs at once.

~_~_~_~_~_~

Mewtwo roared in frustration from where he was floating, invisible, above Cinnabar Island. He could see the island slowly moving back to where it would normally go, and he knew that that was Groudon's doing.

He growled and rubbed his temples, trying not to spill his concentration in anger at the huge ground-tugging monster. Mewtwo then grinned and relaxed.

I can still manipulate the lava, he thought happily, before gritting his teeth when another grinding migraine hacked away at the inside of his skull.

"Having fun?" Mewtwo turned around just a bit too slowly and got a faceful of pink tail. He yelped as Mew's tail whip span him backwards, making him release his concentration and energy once more. The blue energy ballooned out and hit the volcano, making a catastrophic boom when it hit. Mew's mouth fell open in shock as Mewtwo gave a lopsided grin due to the ugly blue bruise blooming on his cheek.

"Looks like I win again!" he said thickly, before vanishing and leaving Mew to swear herself to pieces above the shaking volcano.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"...fuck." Blitz said, watching the volcano crumble. Frome the stunned faces of everyone else around her, she could guess that they were pretty much thinking the same thing.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"Brad, we need to get out of here!" I screamed, dithering between waiting for the Charizard to scoop Roger's lifeless body onto his back or running for the exit with the other Pokemon. Brad suddenly appeared through the spilled dust, the Dragonite on his back.

"Go!" he yelled, flying forwards as a wall of falling rocks rose behind him. I yelped and ran for my life, galloping after him, the heat of the lava overwhelmingly hot and making the hazy dust seem claustrophobic and clinging.

The wall of rocks thundered behind me like a million Rhyhorn stampeding, the crashing seemingly reflecting the beat of my paws on the ground.

"Hurry!" Brad choked from in front of me, landing and trying to run forward. His heavy steps shook the stalactites above, one threatening to detach itself from the ceiling and impale one of us.

I heard a huge gasp and then a white light blinded me, before I realised that we were safely outside. My eyes gradually adjusted to the glare, and I gasped like Brad had when I realised just why everything was so pale.

Kanto had a white Christmas.

**AN: Sorry that it's a bit shorter than usual, but I just ****thought that making it snowy was a nice way to end the chapter. And just in time for Christmas :D**

**Also, thank you to missingnoXD for your many reviews, but please try to be more... reviewy than just saying that the chapter's 'cute'. I'm still grateful for any reviews, but really... :)**

**Also, AA now has five chapters! So please go and read it if you already haven't****! :)**


	46. Roger's Goodbye

**Playing With Fire: Chapter 46**

**AN: Sorry about the extreeeemely long wait, but... it is Christmas :) and I have a life outside of Fanfiction to take care of too! :D**

"Should you tell them or me?" Brad murmured as we walked quietly towards the beach. The happy sounds of snowball fighting and general larking about could be heard loud in the crisp morning air, and I shook my head.

After thanking us for stopping the eruption (cough even though we destroyed the volcano cough), Ryuu and the rest of the volcano Pokemon left us and set to work clearing the rocks from the cave entrance. Me and Brad were left with the less-than-happy task of finding our companions and informing them of Roger's untimely death.

My watery eyes flickered briefly to what was once a living creature on Brad's back.

"You're carrying him," I muttered back, snorting a cloud of ash. Brad fell silent and we entered the beach.

"Hey, you did it!" Danny yelled happily, crawling up from his snow angel and running over to hug us. I flattened my ears unhappily.

"Actually, it wasn't us. It was Roger," Brad started, shrugging the Dragonite from his back and placing him on the snow. Danny's eyes looked like they might drop out.

"AMBER! BRADLEY!" Blitz zoomed over and nearly knocked me over with a hug which I returned awkwardly, before she grabbed Brad too.

"Oh, God," Blitz turned around and saw Ella, her front paws on Roger's arm, staring at him with her eyes swimming in tears. The Houndoom immediately barraged me and Brad with questions in a loud voice.

"What happened?!" Sandy shrieked, clutching Zytha and crying loudly. The Scyther awkwardly patted her on the head with the flat of one of his blades, watching the commotion around him with an almost envious expression.

Lucky galloped up in a hyper mood, hit his head on a branch, and got up again in a sane mood. When he saw Roger, he simply crumpled onto the snow.

"Roger, I wish you hadn't gone so soon," Inferno said resignedly, but otherwise devoid of emotion, stopping all of our noise and leaving silence, apart from Ella who now lay sobbing over Roger's chest. This was Roger's best friend, who didn't apparently care that he was _dead_?

"What? Roger told me how old he was; he was going to die soon anyway. So why die on a hospital bed with tubes in and out of your body trying to squeeze a few more minutes into your life?" we all gave him stunned glances, and even Ella lifted her head to give him a real death glare behind her tears.

"Hey, Roger's words, not mine." Inferno said, holding his arms up. Ella howled with misery and started gently hitting Roger. Inferno crouched on the snow and looked at the Shinx pityingly.

"Better to have risked being humiliated than to have never known," he said sadly to her. A light flicked on in my mind.

"You... you loved him, didn't you?" Ella hiccupped and looked sourly up at me.

"O-of course I did. H-he t-took me seriously and h-helped me feel h-happy. Why do you think I talked t-to him ev-very chance I g-got?" she spat, glowering at each of us in turn. I just stared at her.

"Why didn't you tell him then?" I asked blankly. In my mind it was so simply solved. Her tear-filled eyes became bitter and regretful.

"I was embarrassed," she mumbled. I blinked.

"Bu--" Blitz pushed me out of the way and started to console Ella, while surprisingly, Zytha gave me a glare.

"You've got everything you want in life. She doesn't. You don't think that love is embarrassing because you've had the fortune to not encounter embarrassing things. Most people find it difficult to talk about things like that. And you're not helping by saying things like, 'But everything's fine for me', because that just makes the other person feel useless." the Scyther snapped at me, red eyes boiling. I stared at him in surprise before padding to Lucky and nudging him.

"Don't wanna get up," he muttered, waving some of his tails slightly.

"Lucky, you need to get up. You're not doing Roger any good by getting a chill." I said reprovingly. Lucky sniffled and pushed himself to his feet, his green eyes swimming in tears.

"W-what happened to Roger," he whimpered, flattening his ears over his head and staring at the Dragonite. Blitz frowned.

"Actually, what did happen in there, Amber?" Everyone either looked at me or Brad. Eeeh, long story.

~_~_~_~_~_~_~

"No, I'm afraid we were too busy running for our lives to notice why the rocks were falling and about to impale us," Brad said dryly, following Blitz asking us whether we saw something in the sky.

We had all sat in a circle some distance from Roger's body, apart from Ella who had refused to leave.

"How could we see the sky anyway? We were inside the volcano, and the crater was covered with thick black smoke," I said. Blitz made a weird face.

"Because from what I saw, a blue light zoomed into the volcano and hit it hard. Then the volcano started to collapse." Blitz said mysteriously. I growled.

"Mewtwo."

"Er, actually it wasn't entirely his fault." everyone looked up and saw Mew, floating in midair and looking incredibly sheepish.

"Go on," Ella said slowly from where she had curled up next to Roger, her yellow eyes fixed on the legendary cat.

"Let's just say that... well... I kind of attacked Mewtwo and spilled his psychic energy." Mew said quickly, twiddling her paws together. Light dawned on Blitz' face.

"Was that the blue light?" she asked. Mew nodded.

"I found him levitating high above the island. Stupid great puma was too angry to realise that he was using telepathy to express his thoughts, and that I could hear every word that he was saying, loud and clear. I gave him a surprise attack, and before I could even swear a huge wave of his concentration energy had exploded and hit the volcano." suddenly Ella leapt at Mew and before anyone could react, an explosive pink light sent the electric kitten sprawled in the ground.

"Ella, Roger's death wasn't my fault. He made a choice and carried it out, although I was lucky enough to catch him halfway to... anyway, he wanted you to have this." Mew flew to Ella and put a small, purple pendant on the ground next to her.

"He also said something else," Mew said, before whispering in the Shinx's ear. Ella looked like she was about to cry again, but forced herself to speak.

"Why couldn't he have said this to me himself?" she asked. Mew shook her head.

"I'm sorry, but as I said, if I hadn't been there when I was you wouldn't even have that pendant. It was a pure coincidence. Also, that pendant is a whole amethyst. Roger carried it everywhere with him, and no, I don't know why or where he got it. All I know is that he wanted you to have it." Ella stood shakily up and tugged the pendant over her head.

"Thanks, Mew," she said quietly, before walking away from Roger's body and sitting on Sandy's knee. Mew smiled sadly and interrupted me before I spoke.

"Roger can't be brought back."

"But why?" I asked. She sighed.

"I only have the power to create new life, not resurrect an old one. The same applies to Arceus, only the other way around. I have the ability to transfer an old mind into a new body though, which is how I brought you back, Amber. Arceus can't do this. But when you three, Blitz, Danny and Amber, were brought back into the same bodies, it was Arceus who was there, correct?" We nodded.

"And Giratina," Danny said. Mew looked thoughtful.

"Yes, Giratina's powers would be useful in the resurrection... Arceus really is cleverer than I thought!" she said brightly. Then her smile faded.

"Even if I could bring him back, or if Arceus decided to give him the chance, he would probably decline." Inferno nodded wisely, but Brad snorted steam through his nostrils in annoyance.

"Why wouldn't he want to see us again?" he asked angrily. Mew wagged her tail frantically.

"It's nothing personal, but Roger was old and tired. In... well, where he is now he is young again, and will stay that way until the end of time. When the end of time comes... well, that's information that I and only I know, and I intend to keep it that way." Blitz gave her a startled glance.

"How do you know that?" she asked in surprise. Mew laughed.

"I created time. I created everything; I know what's going to happen in the end. The reason that there are other legendaries is that I can't control everything by myself. Dialga and Celebi protect and decipher time, sometimes with help from a certain Grovyle. Palkia controls space, and Giratina manages the Distortion World. The legendary birds guard Kanto, and the seasons and weather there. The legendary beasts guard Johto, and the legendary golems guard Hoenn. The lake sprites guard Sinnoh.

Each legendary has its own purpose; I created them all for separate reasons. I suppose the only legendaries without purposes are Mewtwo and Deoxys, although where Deoxys came from I have no clue." I smiled and nodded, pretending to listen to the long ramblings. Polar, on the other hand, put it a bit more bluntly.

"Shut up now, or I won't do a thing!" she yelled, breaking Mew from her thoughts and sending everyone, save Sandy, into laughter.

"P-Polar, I'm getting you a-a dictionary for Christmas this y-year!" I wheezed. Lucky frowned.

"Hang on, it was Christmas yesterday though!" Brad looked puzzled.

"How did you know that?" Danny said, checking the date on Sandy's phone. Apparently it was Boxing Day. Lucky shrugged before scowling.

"Some Christmas present." he muttered unhappily, plopping into the snow again with a grumpy 'humph'. Danny gave the protesting Sandy her phone back, before sighing.

"Well, I guess we should be off." he said. Me and Brad gave him a blank look.

"I booked a ferry to Lavender Town, so that we can continue our Pokemon League challenge. It takes about 4 days," Danny explained. Brad moaned, but Danny ignored it and turned to face Roger's body.

"Now we just have to take care of that," he said slowly. Mew cleared her throat.

"Roger said that he wanted to be cremated," she said. I blanched.

~_~_~_~_~_~

"Airabelle Jenkins? Your Blastoise is going to live." Aira gave a huge sigh of relief and leapt up from her seat in the waiting room, rushing to Nurse Joy. Her Riolu just managed to cling onto her shoulder.

"Can you fix his arm?" Aira asked hopefully. Nurse Joy shook her head.

"No, I'm sorry. Does he have a name?" Aira frowned.

"Err... he's called... Aquarius. Yes. He's called Aquarius." she said, following the nurse into the intensive care ward.

"There's just one problem." Aira gave Nurse Joy an upset look.

"What is it?"

"Whatever happened to Aquarius made him lose his memory. To us it appears that he was attacked by a large Pokemon; a Manectric or some other large dog, and then fell down the mountainside. Although I don't know why a Blastoise would even be up there in the first place." Aira was shocked and didn't hear the rest of Nurse Joy's speech, and looked at the newly dubbed 'Aquarius'.

The Blastoise was wearing an innocent, bewildered expression, reminding the girl of a small child who had just been attacked. There were bandages covering the place where his arm once was, and he had two dark patches on his face from the fangs of the 'large dog'. The swellings and bruises had gone, and the huge turtle looked almost normal. He was sitting up on his hospital bed with his back to the wall.

"Blaaaaass tooiiiss..." (You helped me by bringing me here...) he said in confusion, looking at Aira.

"Right! Well, I think that Aquarius should have a rest now, don't you?" Nurse Joy said briskly, rubbing her sanitary glove-clad hands together.

"Blas toise blas?" (My name is Aquarius?) the Blastoise asked, cocking his head in bewilderment. Aira, who didn't understand, just waved as she went out.

"Bye, Aquarius! I'll see you tomorrow!"

"Blaas... blas blas toise..!" (I'll... I'll see you tomorrow..!) Aquarius said, waving his blue arm in return.

**AN: Err, merry Christmas? :| I hope that you don't flame me for killing Roger, but I wanted to send him off with a heroic ending. Also, please don't expect fast updates :)**** And with the whole Reggie/Aquarius thing, the fall basically made him lose his memory of everything. The only things he can do are eat, talk, and other (ahem!) bodily functions. With everything else, he's turned into a precocious toddler.**

**By the way, if you're wondering where Arizona skipped off to, she left to continue her journey. Don't worry, she's coming back : )**


	47. HIATUS!

**Hiatus**

The reason that I haven't updated in so long is because, frankly, I've been diagnosed with idio-arthritis. I know that it isn't a very major excuse, seeing as I'd just be sitting at a computer anyway, but I'm in and out of hospital so much that I just don't have time to carry on with my stories at the moment. So, until further notice, this story is ON HIATUS.

This counts for both Alakazam Academy and Playing With Fire, but hopefully I'll be able to continue them in around two weeks, because by then I'll have had the course of steroids and various drugs and will hopefully be on the mend.

Oh, and just to explain, arthritis is a condition where your joints swell up and become inflamed, making it hard to move or use the affected limbs. Idio-arthritis just means that the doctors know that I've got arthritis, but they don't know what type it is or what's caused it. -_-

Ah well, could be worse. They said that I definitely don't have rheumatoid arthritis, which is apparently a very severe type of arthritis, and also I don't need a Zimmer frame. Yet.

But aside from the self-pity, in case you didn't get it before, there will be no updates on any stories for at least two weeks. I am really very sorry, and I hope you won't flame me for it.

Yours sincerely,  
Pokemaniac1234 (Lizzie)


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